Matt Landis will soon travel 1,400 miles from Collinsville, Mississippi to Cambridge, Massachusetts to begin his new life as a college student.

Studying at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a dream the 18-year-old has had since he first arrived at West Lauderdale High School. 

“I’m really excited and it’s a really big honor for me to get into it,” Landis said. “It’s been a dream of mine for a long time to go to MIT.” 

Landis, West Lauderdale’s 2019 valedictorian, plans to study computer science at the prestigious university. Since he was young, Landis has been interested in math, science and technology, so computer science is a natural fit, he said. 

To prepare for college, he took advanced math and science courses and spent his free time studying. He also worked on the college application process because it includes writing essays.

Shane Rodgers, West Lauderdale’s principal, said he was impressed with Landis’s work ethic, crediting him with helping to start an Esports team at the school. Rodgers said he’s  confident that Landis will succeed at MIT, but he will always have a place at West Lauderdale.

Landis said he’s excited for the challenges that will come with college, as well as learning from other students and making new friends. In April, he visited the campus and got to meet people from different backgrounds. But moving to New England will take some adjustments, he said. He’ll have to get used to the people, the culture and especially the climate.

After college, Landis said he may like to work for a major technology company such as Amazon or Google. Some day, he said, he might start his own tech business.

For now, Landis is ready for his next adventure and the changes that come with it. 

“I am going from a rural area in Mississippi to Boston, which is a very large city, which will be a big change,” he said.