Matt Summers Overcomes Troubled Past and Continues His Successful at Ole Miss

Matt Summers is not the average student from Ole Miss. He has been through many obstacles in his life that has made him the successful man he is today. Summers grew up in Greenville, Mississippi where gangs and violence was surrounding him everyday. His home life was different than most kids. When he was not at school, he had to be home taking care of his little sister, because his mother could not stay away from her bad habits and his dad lived far away.

As he entered high school things would only get worse as he was exposed to drugs, gangs, and violence between his family and friends. He went to Greenville High School, which has made national headlines on several occasions because of violence. Summers stayed strong during these tough times and finally an opportunity came to him.

Two of his friends at school told Summers about Washington Academy, which was a private school in Greenville that he had never even heard of. After his junior year at Greenville High School, he went to visit Washington Academy to see if it was even possible for him to afford. Summers did not want this opportunity to pass because he knew this was an opportunity for new hope in his life. He worked an agreement with his step father that he would work all summer on the farm to pay for school, and his father agreed to pay the rest as well.

What made did not know his how much this decision would help him. Summers attended Washington Academy his senior year, and he felt welcome from the very beginning. He made many new friends that were always there for him. He played many sports, including winning the state championship in football. He also continued to do well academically and graduated with a high GPA. He then attended Mississippi Delta Community College where his academics improved even more, and he earned scholarships to help pay for school. He is now attending Ole Miss and where he is involved many ways on and off campus. He is an ambassador, orientation leader, member of Chi Psi fraternity, and a few other things off campus as well.