At the close of his freshman year, Lake Highlands resident Ryan Gummer was informed by his high school that he was not welcome to return the following year.

Struggling with a little-known learning disability called dysgraphia, a friend referred Ryan to Dallas Academy.

At this private school in east Dallas, dedicated to educating students with learning differences, Ryan got the extra attention he needed to get the words out of his head and down on paper.

He learned to start early when writing papers and to go over them repeatedly to catch his grammar and punctuation errors.

“Being told not to come back to school can be devastating for a 15-year old,” remembers Gummer.

But his experience at Dallas Academy recalibrated his appreciation for learning.

“Dallas Academy was really good at building back up my confidence,” he explains. “Because the classes are small, the teachers know what’s going on with each student. They knew what needed to happen to make school work for me."

After graduating from Dallas Academy in 1999, Gummer went on to earn his BBA in Finance from Southern Methodist University.

Now 28, Gummer owns and operates Keystone Investments, a company he developed that provides and manages investments specializing in real estate and venture capital for start-up companies.

In business for four years, he’s earned the trust of investors many years his senior with his diligence and knack for numbers. In fact, his cautious philosophy has allowed him to weather the recession with no real estate foreclosures.

Though they are fewer in number, his projects continue to sell well, considering the market. “I don’t buy into anything that I don’t believe in,” says Gummer. "When I see something that promises great looking returns, I ask, ‘Would I live there? Would I use it?’ Numbers can be deceiving.”

Gummer continues to pursue learning, taking opportunities during times of slower business activity to network and learn more about his industry.

“I’m grateful that this recession is happening now, when I’m young,” he says. “I’m learning what to expect in the future. When I see housing numbers creep up next time, hopefully I’ll remember what’s happening now and be able make adjustments.”

Gummer says he’s starting to see more projects come in now, and he thinks things may begin to gain additional direction early next year.

Gummer currently volunteers with the North Texas Arthritis Foundation, serving as vice chairman of their board of directors. He has also chaired the group's golf tournament for the past two years.

Also a member of the Alumni Board for SMU’s Sigma Phi Epsilon Chapter, Gummer was the hands down choice for Dallas Academy’s first John R. Albers Distinguished Alumni Award, presented this spring.

Ryan credits his mother and father, Cindy and Charles Gummer, and his teachers at Dallas Academy, for teaching him that it’s okay to ask for help, and for being there for him when he needed them.

Gummer says his parents, United Way Tocqueville Chairs who are active in children’s cancer prevention organizations, have inspired him to give back to his community in significant ways. And he encourages the same from others.

In presenting Ryan Gummer the John R. Albers Award, Dallas Academy Headmaster Jim Richardson said, “We are very proud of Ryan’s success, and we are thrilled to be able to honor him with this award.”

Dallas Academy is a widely recognized leader in private education for bright students with learning differences and is located in east Dallas.

Ryan and his wife, Michelle, currently call Lake Highlands home. Along with his parents, Cindy and Charles, they look forward to spending many more years in the LH community.

Photos (below left) are of Michelle and Ryan together with his parents; (below right) the couple poses in Ryan's office located just blocks from his alma mater, SMU.