WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — A Central Georgia high school athlete is heading to the one of the most prestigious schools in the country, Yale University. One of Northside High soccer's senior leaders, Colbert Flagg III has announced where he'll be continuing his education in the fall. He may not be scoring goals at the college level, but the assist he's giving his country is even more important.
Flagg had big plans for his senior soccer season, but after rain delays slowed the beginning of the year, COVID-19 cut those dreams short altogether.
"We were all looking around at each other like "So what now?" and the first few days we were just scrimmaging nonstop and then we realized how bad corona was," Flagg said.
The senior better known as "Tre", would not go out like he wanted on the soccer pitch, but there was still plenty to celebrate. Flagg was named salutatorian of his class and like any anxious senior he awaited the results of of college acceptance letters. One came as a surprise.
"I opened my decision after work in a parking lot on my phone. That's how nonchalant this whole thing was," Flagg said.
That "decision" was to Yale University, a school Flagg wasn't expecting to get into and one he didn't plan on finishing the application for at one point.
"I actually stopped in the middle of the Yale application and my mom got onto me about it and said you're going to finish this. You're applying to Yale," Flagg said.
With other acceptances to schools like Mercer University, Vanderbilt University and the U.S. Naval Academy in his back pocket, and no graduation stage to walk, his parents decided to do a college athletic scholarship style reveal to celebrate the big moment.
Flagg will attend on an Air Force ROTC scholarship, a path he chose to honor his parents. His mother is a former active duty marine and is now in the Air Force reserve acting as a traveling nurse in Warner Robins. His dad is also a retired marine who served 30 years active duty. Flagg said service is in his blood.
"Serving my country was something I always wanted to do personally and AFROTC specifically has a track to go to medical school which is a big deal for me because I want to be a surgeon," Flagg said.
The decision to serve made his father proud, who said he believes everyone should serve in the military in some capacity.
"There's a lot of people out there on the front lines paying a very heavy price for us to enjoy this life that we live so it means a lot to me that that is something that he understands," Flagg II said.
Flagg's Air Force ROTC scholarship will cover the entirety of his tuition and give him a book and living expense stipend. He's also already graduated from Middle Georgia State University with an associate's degree.
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