Academic All-Star – Summit High

Published April 27, 2017

The Academic All-Star award is given to students who exhibit a positive attitude and a commitment to excellence in the classroom. Each Academic All-Star is chosen by his or her principal and receives a framed certificate, free food from Chick-fil-A and Sonic Drive-In and a free gift courtesy of Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More in Franklin.

A lot can happen in two years. Just ask Summit High School senior Tyler Schmidt.

As a sophomore, Tyler’s lack of interest in school put his chance of graduating in jeopardy. But over the course of the last 18 months, administrators say he has turned it around and is now on the path to success. That’s why he was chosen as this year’s Academic All-Star.

“Tyler has come a long way at Summit High School,” said Summit High Principal Sarah Lamb. “He has worked hard and sees he now has a future to pursue. I love that Tyler now has a smile on his face, and he can be proud of his accomplishments.”

Even Tyler admits he didn’t have the right attitude when he first arrived at Summit.

“Toward the end of middle school, I started to goof around a little bit,” said Tyler. “As a freshman, I wasn’t really with the whole school thing. But once I realized what it had done to me and the consequences, it just opened my eyes and I changed.”

Tyler says the teachers at Summit had a lot to do with that change.

“It was the teachers who helped me,” said Tyler. “They were there for me. They aren’t just teachers; they are real people, and they were there to communicate with me.”

Now, Tyler is showing exactly what it means to be an Academic All-Star. He improved his grades; he joined the bowling team; and he’s looking forward to graduating and continuing his education.

“My plan is to use the Tennessee Promise Scholarship to attend Columbia State, and then I’m going to try to go to a university after that,” said Tyler. “I’m excited, but at the same time I’m not because I’ll miss high school. I’m interested to step into the real world and experience it.”

But for the moment, Tyler says he’s just going to sit back and soak up the joy that comes with being named an Academic All-Star.

“This means a lot to me,” said Tyler. “I wasn’t expecting this at all. I wouldn’t see myself as someone to be chosen for this so it’s exciting.”