Ahead Of The Game

As part of RBC’s Middle College Program, Meziah Scott completed coursework necessary to graduate from Richard Bland and Petersburg High School at the same time. 

By Amy Lacey

Football has been an escape for Meziah Scott since he was seven-years-old.

“It’s my world away from the world. My peace and happiness,” Scott says. “I put most of my life and time into football. If I’m stressed out, I go out and throw a ball around and then everything is okay.”

The 2021 Petersburg High School quarterback continued his passion on the field at Western Carolina University this past fall. Unlike most 18-year-olds, Scott began his freshman year at WCU with 60 college credits.

Scott completed the coursework necessary to graduate from both Petersburg High School and RBC’s Middle College program. It is a partnership with Petersburg City Public Schools that allows eligible students to fulfill their high school requirements while also getting a jump start on college.

“When the prospects of becoming a Middle College student at Richard Bland were introduced to me, it gave me an opportunity to exceed,” Scott explains. “I looked for that challenge. It’s what I take to the field, and I want it in other areas of my life, especially academically. 

Richard Bland offered that to me in so many ways.”

RBC’s Middle College program is available to Petersburg High School juniors and seniors who test into college-level Math and English courses. They attend eleventh and twelfth grades on the RBC campus. 

While accepting his high school diploma, Scott also earned an associate of science degree thanks to his enrollment in the RBC Middle College program. 

Scott originally decided to   continue his education on a football scholarship at Western Carolina, but entered the NCAA Transfer Portal and will return home to attend Virginia State this fall. His success as a student in RBC’s Middle College program also attracted the attention of several other universities. He was a model student-athlete who earned good grades and excelled athletically.

In addition to playing football, Scott will pursue an education in Sports Management at VSU. He hopes to become a graduate assistant and work his way up the ranks in the coaching program, secure internships, and eventually oversee the careers of athletes.

“It’s an honor and an achievement to graduate from RBC and Petersburg,” Scott says. “The curriculum was challenging, but it helped raise my GPA. It also showed people that at a young age you can handle academic responsibilities and a highly academic atmosphere, be successful at sports, and manage life and a social world. Coaches saw that and were impressed.”

He will also look to his life-long football mentor, his father, Michael Scott, who is the head football coach at Petersburg High School.

Scott highly recommends RBC’s Middle College to any Petersburg student who qualifies for it. 

“You go into college ahead of the game,” Scott says about being an RBC Middle College student. “It’s definitely a sacrifice for a long-term goal, but the results are unexplainable. The rewards are unexplainable. You learn to manage your time. The work will pay off if you have the right mindset.”