Notre Dame junior Matthew Austin said that he finds he does well on the ACT when he has confidence in himself. 

That mindset paid off, as Austin learned he scored a perfect 36 on the most recent ACT.

Austin is the son of Sam and Caroline Austin of Cape Girardeau, and a graduate of St. Vincent de Paul Elementary School.

He is a member of the SADD club, French club, Science club, Scholar Bowl and National Honor Society. Austin serves as the National French Honor Society president, FBLA district vice president of membership, and the regional president for Second Serve Nonprofit.

Austin is a two-time state qualifying tennis player for Notre Dame. He was the 2022 district singles champion, and 2023 SEMO Conference doubles champion. He was also a 2022 Semoball Award finalist for boys tennis.

His many academic awards include College Board Rural and Small Town National Recognition, first place in FBLA districts for the Healthcare Administration category, and French National Exam (Grand Concours) bronze medalist in 2022 and silver medalist in 2023. He also placed first in Algebra II and second in Mental Arithmetic at the 2023 Math Field Day competition. Austin has received student of the year honors in Advanced English I, Honors Geometry and French II. 

When it comes to the ACT, Austin said he received encouragement from ACT tutor Chrisi Hodges, but primarily studied on his own and reviewed his school coursework. 

“I believe perseverance and confidence are key to the test,” he added. 

With his senior year of high school ahead, he is aiming to complete his college admissions early by applying for early decision. He says he really wants “to savor the moments that I will have with my friends during my last year of high school.”

After high school, Austin plans to go the pre-med track in college, and hopefully attend medical school as a postgraduate.