Austin Sherman’s essay begins: “Dedication and success go hand in hand. Without dedication, you won’t be able to accomplish any of your dreams.” Now a senior at Hume-Fogg Magnet High School, Austin grew up without a father and has personally seen family members hauled off to jail. “As a kid, after watching all of the domestic violence, drug abuse, and school dropouts of my family, I knew that I did not want to follow in their footsteps and be just another number in society. Once I was set on making my own path, I knew that I had to stay on myself to get my school work done and work hard on and of the[football] field in every aspect of my life.” He says that setting short term goals helps keep his self-esteem and dedication high to accomplish the next goal.
ince Hume-Fogg has no football team, Austin played Tight End and Full Back for Hillwood High School, one of 10 or fewer who make the team each year. He was elected to the 2014 All City Football Team by the Metro Coaches Association. He is active in Mu Alpha Theta- the mathematics honor society.
His counselor at Hume Fogg says: “He will be the first person in his immediate family to complete high school, the first to go to college….His mother relies on Austin to help provide for the household as well as to care for his nieces and nephews…Austin knows what he wants to do in life and is not afraid of the challenges he may face in order to achieve his goals.”
