Alex Minnick has turned to drawing his whole life.

Minnick says it calms him.

"You don't have to think about anything else," the Lutz native said. "You're not worried with anything. You're just focusing on getting what you want to do done."

That soothing peace turned into excitement when Minnick found out he received a perfect score on his Advanced Placement Studio Art exam.

Minnick, who turns 18 this month, submitted a portfolio of his work to showcase his growth. Out of the 18,000 entries nationwide, Minnick's entry was one of fewer than 16 percent that scored a 5 - the highest score possible.

"I was surprised," Minnick said. "I thought I'd only get a three or a four."

The AP Studio Art class almost didn't happen.

When attending orientation for senior year, Minnick said signing up for AP Studio Art wasn't an option. He asked his teacher, Carolyn Frances, to open the class.

"I wanted to continue on with art instead of choosing a new elective," he said.

Frances opened up the class, and five other students joined. 

Now that he's graduated from Sunlake High School, Minnick plans to attend Pasco-Hernando State College.