OLD ORCHARD BEACH — Teenagers are often stereotyped as lazy and irresponsible; Old Orchard Beach graduating senior Conor Noonan is anything but.

Noonan, 17, will be attending Emmanuel College in the fall. He plans to study biochemistry and go on to medical school. He will be the first person in his family to attend college.

All his life, Noonan said, he’s seen his family members struggle to make ends meet. One became homeless after wrestling with alcoholism and another began selling drugs to make money and ended up in prison.

He is determined to get out of the cycle of financial struggle, and has been working since he was 14. He currently works at the Edgewater Motor Inn.

Noonan lives with his mother and describes himself as pretty self-sufficient and someone who stays out of trouble.

He buys his own clothes, he said, has paid his cell phone bill for three years and bought his truck — a 2009 Ford F-150.

“I understand the value of a dollar,” Noonan said. “I think I’m a little bit more mature for my age. I know what it’s like to work and buy my own things.”

He has also taken his academic career seriously. He likes science, discovering how the systems of the body work and finds the field of surgery fascinating.

Noonan said he also enjoyed learning to make bowls, tables and other items in a woodworking class.

Noonan was on the football team for four years, and enjoys keeping in shape and working out.

“I don’t like to sit around,” he said.

Noonan said he learned at an early age the value of a good education and a work ethic. Though he has faced some challenges in his life, he credits them for making him stronger and more driven.

“I really am kind of thankful of where I came from. It almost feels like it puts me a step ahead of the game,” he said.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.