Poised and polite, Melina Lopez appears shy when first meeting her. Her hair is perfectly placed, her manners beyond her age. But as soon as you speak with this young lady, you see the sparkle she possesses.
Melina’s mom, Tina Howard, knows her daughter shines. She brags that Melina has always achieved the highest honors academically. She is a member of several clubs and enjoys doing volunteer work.
“She is just a really great kid,” Tina Howard said.
She laughed that every time she calls her daughter’s school, any person that answers the phone knows Melina by name and describes what a great girl she is.
With all of these great characteristics, Melina will be successful in whatever she pursues. But right now, she is just not sure. Her mom says she has talked about being a lawyer or a veterinarian. Melina says that when she took a career test at school she chose three possible jobs: chef, physical therapist and youth worker.
Just in the seventh grade, Melina has plenty of time to make up her mind. For now, she is focused on her school work and being kind to those around her. She is also a huge help at home, according to her mom, Tina. Babysitting her younger brothers and sister, Melina is a mentor at home too.
Jean Ann Stanley, a counselor at Burns Middle School, nominated Melina to be featured in Owensboro Parent. She said, “Melina is such a wonderful young lady. She doesn’t have any special talent or skills that make her stand out in the crowd, but what makes her so special is the goodness that radiates from her. She is kind, sweet and good to everyone she meets. She nurtures others and is a friend to everyone. Melina has the gift of making everyone she comes in contact with feel special, and what makes this so unique is that she has no idea that she is truly the special one.”
When asked, Melina couldn’t pinpoint why she was nominated. She simply and humbly said, “I just like helping friends out. I love being friends with everyone.”