There is nothing unusual about this except that Matt didn't even finish Year 10!

Being born into a diplomatic family, Matt attended International Schools in various countries before the family returned to Australia when he was 14yo.

He was disengaged from study, getting into typical teenage scrapes and literally going nowhere.

He dropped out of school without getting his Year 10 certificate.

Although not a bad lad, he certainly did more than his share of breaching boundaries and embracing trouble.  After dropping out of an apprenticeship and despite lack of a necessary year 10 certificate for acceptance into the Army, he sat and passed an entry examination.

DURING his time with the Army, Matt did a tour of duty in Timor as part of the peace keeping force, following the necessary language training for that posting.

A tour of duty from January to June 2012 in Afghanistan followed where he served at Tarin Kowt.

Injury or death was just one improvised explosive device away at any time.

In what is acknowledged as Australia's longest war, 40 died, 260 were wounded and many more carry mental scars from the Afghanistan conflict.

In Afghanistan, Lance Corporal Matthew Sharp was commanding officer of Mentoring Task Force 4 for which he received a Commendation.

This read in part "Your conduct during several incidents involving the neutralization of improvised explosive devices and insurgent caches was calm and professional which reflect further on your leadership.

Your performance during these high stress and potentially deadly circumstances set the standard for your subordinates who under your leadership, performed to the highest standards."

MATT’S stint in the Army provided a bridge over which a disengaged youth could cross to become a highly focused man.

After leaving the Army, he applied for and was accepted into Griffith University, currently ranked in the top five per cent of universities in the world.

He enrolled for a Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice.

Last year he was awarded the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice 2013 Undergraduate Book Prize for Excellence in Academic Achievement and the university wide Griffith Award for Academic Excellence 2013.

Based on these results and on his leadership experience and community engagement from his Army career, Matt has been welcomed into the Griffith Honours College.

This is a prestigious program for exceptional students in the top 5pc of all students at Griffith University.

Matt has also been selected as one of only five students in all Griffith University campuses to apply for a fully funded scholarship to study law at the City University of Hong Kong for six months, later this year.

CAROL is justifiably proud of Matt's success.

As someone who in her professional life works with those suffering disadvantage, Carol is passionate about believing in kids, giving them every opportunity to shine, every chance to get ahead.  She knows the value of education as a means to a better future so Matt's late blooming is a special source of pride and validation for her.

This is a very personal story about Matt's journey and thanks go to Carol for sharing it.

But it has a wider resonance. Australia is a lucky country in which young people like Matt whose personal cogs did not mesh with those of the school system while in his teens, still have the opportunity to engage with and flourish in the educational sphere through adult entry in later years.

On this Anzac Day, we remember those who served, were wounded or died for our country.  It is worthwhile reflecting that for many of these, the educational opportunity that Matt has grasped as a stepping stone to a fulfilling future was not to be for them.

But still as Carol said in her own words, tinged with her Kiwi accent "This is all about a wee boy who didn't finish Year 10..."