For our January Student of the Month, the Academy selects Gavin Sumner! Gavin is a senior at Berrien Academy, having spent the last four years with our little family here. One of the qualities that sets Gavin apart is his ability to multitask to ensure all responsibilities are met, whether those may be academic or personal in nature. Gavin attributes his success in this realm to time management practices and planning ahead. By planning ahead and often completing more work than necessary, he explains that his worries are calmed and he is then able to relax more outside of school. This semester, Gavin has a full slate of classes, including two college dual enrollment courses, of which he is excelling. The subject he enjoys most, however, is math because, though he claims to not be the best at it, he likes how straightforward it is and how there may be multiple paths to an answer, but there is just one answer.
Outside of school, Gavin has a passion for playing pool. He enjoys trying to “run the table” and execute the planned moves with the precision required. As Gavin admits, he is a perfectionist and having and achieving goals motivates him to excel. When asked about any influential people who may have shaped his life, Gavin explained that he doesn’t feel there really is one person to have influenced his life, but rather, he sees everyone as being influential. What a mature perspective to have! Though he admits, he never really took school seriously up to sixth grade, he says having witnessed others struggling and trying so hard to succeed is what has actually inspired him to do better, even though the easy option for him is to revert back to a state of not caring so much.
After Gavin walks across that stage in May, he will be attending Valdosta State University to be a programmer, and he has already been offered an internship in the field. We have no doubt that Gavin will continue to be successful in anything he desires, because Gavin puts in the work and effort to make things happen! We are so proud of you, Gavin!