George Simmons brings exuberance to life and excellence to academics

Fifteen-year-old George Simmons III has done something no other Cape High student has done – he's earned a full ride to college as a high school freshman.

“When I heard I got it, I screamed,” said George, an outgoing teen with a big personality.

The Give Back Foundation awarded the scholarship to George, who first heard about it as an AVID student – a Cape High program that stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination, created to help students navigate college admissions.

His counselor handed out fliers at the beginning of the school year and George mailed his inquiry off with some help from an extended deadline. A packet of information followed requiring teacher recommendations and an essay.

Writing the essay was an experience. “I felt very egotistical when I wrote it,” he said.

But a little self-promotion went a long way when George was called in for an interview. With hair that defys gravity – it's all in the gel, George says – and a mouth that is quick to smile, showing braces on his teeth that betray his years, George speaks with a confidence unusual for a freshman. He chats easily about himself, his work, his family or his favorite television shows – revealing an amiable disposition that comes through from the very first meeting.

The day of the foundation interview was no different.

“I was in there for an hour, which I thought was a good thing, but then I thought it was a bad thing because I talk too much,” he said.

Foundation officials told George that they would announce scholarship winners at the end of April, and when the date approached, he checked his email every day.

Since winning the four-year scholarship, he's been on cloud nine.

“I'm the only one from Cape to have won this,” he said.

The Give Back Foundation was established by businessman Bob Carr, a graduate of University of Illinois. Carr initially funded the foundation that now offers tuition and room and board to 493 students, helping them obtain a four-year college degree without debt, the website states.

Participating colleges are the University of Delaware; The College of New Jersey, Rowan University, Montclair State University and Saint Peter's University, all in New Jersey; Northern Illinois University, Blackburn College, Lewis University and University of St. Francis, all in Illinois. The foundation website states colleges will soon be added in Pennsylvania.

Although a lot can change from his freshman to senior year, George is emphatic that he will go to University of Delaware.

“I chose University of Delaware because I've always wanted to go there,” he said.

Even without the scholarship, there is a good chance George would have earned substantial scholarships to the university. He has already earned $1,000 for the Michael G. Fergusen Award given to students who score exceptionally well on state tests. As a freshman, he participated in Academic Challenge, earning college credit for English from Delaware Technical Community College. He studied Shakespeare, and British, Greek and Roman literature. “I really enjoyed 'Macbeth,’” he said.

The rest of his core classes are honors and, he said, he plans to take Advanced Placement his sophomore, junior and senior years. George said he has a friendly competition with a classmate who he thinks may eventually be class valedictorian.

“I'm racing to be No. 1 in my class. At least I want to get in the top five,” he said. “I strive for grades in the high 90s.”

A part-time job at Miltonian Pizzeria and Wing House keeps him busy and helps put some extra change in his pocket.

But it's not all work and no play. George said he plans to try out for JV football, and he's a member of the Gay Straight Alliance. He took a piano class this year – something, he said, he always wanted to do – and he got plenty of help from his musically gifted stepfather.

In fifth grade, George moved to Milton with his mother, stepfather, brother and sister after living in Maryland, South Carolina and Georgia. He enrolled in H.O. Brittingham Elementary and later attended Mariner Middle School.

“My time at Mariner was the most I'd been in one school,” he said.

Now, he said, he looks forward to spending more time at Cape High and then the University of Delaware, where he is considering a major in psychiatry.

A Give Something Back Foundation magnet remains safe and sound at George's home, reminding him of the opportunity he's been given.

“I'm saving it to go on the mini-refrigerator in my dorm room. That way, I can see it and remember everything the foundation has done for me,” he said.