Senior Spotlight: 'Being held to higher expectations pushed me'
Editor's Note: The Coshocton Tribune is profiling one senior from each of the three public school districts in Coshocton County. They were nominated for a Senior Spotlight by their school administration.
WARSAW — Gage Summers said it wasn't easy going to River View when his father, Dalton Summers, was the superintendent, but he eventually came to see it a positive thing.
Dalton became the superintendent of River View Local Schools in 2012. He left the position last summer to become superintendent of the Ohio Valley Educational Service Center. At the time, Dalton said he wasn't moving out of the district as he wanted his three sons to complete their schooling at River View.
Gage said everybody knew who his father was and that meant he was held to higher expectations. It drove him nuts when he was younger, but he's come to understand how it was actually a positive for him.
"At the beginning of my life I thought it was awful. If you do anything bad, your dad is going to know," Gage said. "Now, I know being held to higher expectations pushed me to be who I am today. It helped me to succeed more in the school aspect of things. I was able to put my best effort forward when it came to schooling."
Gage played soccer and basketball at River View and played football for one season as a kicker. He's a member of the National Honor Society, Spanish NHS, Teen Leadership Corps and Phi Theta Kappa College Honor Society. He's taken College Credit Plus classes since he was a freshmen at Ohio University Zanesville and Zane State College. His senior project was helping with the sports department's Twitter feed, live streaming games and doing announcements at baseball games.
Teen Leadership had a big impact on Gage. It's a non-profit organization that raises funds for various charities and school programs while also doing community service projects in the school and public. They also participate in leadership summits.
"It's a really good opportunity for young leaders to get out," Gage said. "The whole organization has been a blessing to me. I've gained a ton of experience that will help me in the future like time management and social skills."
Gage plans to attend Bluffton University this fall to play soccer and enter into the pre-physical therapy program. He then wants to earn his doctorate in physical therapy at Walsh University.
Gage said he's had physical therapy because of his knees and his brother, Cael, needed physical therapy for Goldenhar syndrome, which effects the spine.
"Every time I walk in there, the people I'm with are nice. They're good people with uplifting spirits who have helped me a lot," Gage said. "If I could help people like they've helped us, I thought that was a good idea."
While he's open to letting his career take him wherever it might lead, he would like to return to Coshocton and open his own office if possible.
"I don't have a set destination after I'm done with college, but I've always had the idea to come back here. It's always one of those things I've wanted, to give back to the place that has given so much to me," he said. "If I can't come back here, I would definitely make donations to my school and community, things like that. I wouldn't be where I'm at today without the people who raised me and built me up."
Leonard Hayhurst is a community content coordinator and general news reporter for the Coshocton Tribune with close to 15 years of local journalism experience and multiple awards from the Ohio Associated Press. He can be reached at 740-295-3417 or llhayhur@coshoctontribune.com. Follow him on Twitter at @llhayhurst.
This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: 'Being held to higher expectations pushed me'
