Walnut Elementary School student Grady Lanser was the Turlock Unified School District’s Character Counts October Student of the Month.

At the Oct. 20 TUSD Board of Trustees meeting, Lanser provided an inspirational message about his life at school as a young boy dealing with and explaining dysplasia, a condition that may periodically cause hair to fall out throughout the body, including eyebrows and premature male pattern balding.

Lanser’s bravery and courage willed him to endure teasing and ridicule in his early school years as his eyebrows and hair on the back of his head began to fall out.

Even though he has suffered from hair loss, Lanser has overcome his obstacles to remain positive and productive in both his academic endeavors at Walnut and his friendships with fellow students.