In 1908, Alma Richards, an eighth-grader, quits school to work as a ranch hand. A chance meeting with a professor motivates him to resume his education, leading him to compete in high jump at the Stockholm Olympics and win a gold medal.

In 1908, Eighth grader Alma Richards quits school. He doesn't see the point in going when he could be working as a ranch hand. A chance encounter with a Michigan State Professor sets Alma back on the road to education, which in turn leads him to more than he's ever dreamed of including a trip to the Stockholm Olympics competing in High Jump for a Gold Medal.—T.C. Christensen