Matthew, a junior at Olentangy has reached an exciting milestone in his life. After many hours of practice and hard work, Matthew passed his driving exam! Matthew enrolled in an intense driving program where he practiced with an instructor once a week for two hours over a 9-month period. When we asked how it felt to finally hold his driver’s license he said, “it feels great!”

In addition to celebrating his recent achievement, Matthew is looking forward to the start of summer in a few weeks. Like most high school students, he has been studying hard for his final exams. Matthew’s favorite subject in school is biology because he loves learning about living things. While biology is his favorite subject, his reading teacher Mr. Kirk is his favorite teacher. Mr. Kirk spends extra time with Matthew to make sure he understands the material the class is currently covering. The two have even formed a special bond over their mutual love for Star Wars and video games.

Matthew keeps busy outside of school too. He really enjoys participating in Service Club activities. “They’re always lots of fun and we get to help people,” he said. In addition to giving back to the community, Matthew likes to swim. Matthew has been swimming since third grade and is a member of the YMCA club team. His best events are the backstroke and freestyle.

While Matthew is looking forward to summer for a break from school, he will keep busy working at Meijer for the second summer in a row.

So, what’s next for Matthew? Next year he will be gearing up for graduation and applying for college. At the moment, he’s thinking about The Ohio State University or Columbus State. His goal is to become a fitness trainer working for the NFL or the NBA. As a major LeBron James fan, he wouldn’t mind getting to work for the Cleveland Cavaliers!

When we asked Matthew what advice he would give to younger kids he said, “Never give up – just don’t ever give up!” Matthew has seen what can happen with hard work and perseverance and is a great role model for other kids. “When he makes his mind up to do something, he can do it,” shared his mom. “After he received his license he was beaming because he was so excited.”

Congratulations on your big achievement, Matthew! We look forward to seeing where you go next!