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Melissa Martin has
been in the top 3% of her class from 9th through 12th grade. In the 11th
and 12th grades, Melissa earned Academic Letters, and has been on the
National Honor Roll. She has been on the Who's Who Among American High
School Students from the 9th through 12th grades. Melissa is also a Georgia
Merit Scholar.
While in school, Melissa has taken on several
leadership roles, including President of the Student Advisory Board (SAB),
Junior and Senior Class President and Cheerleading Captain. Of these roles,
being on the SAB has been the most satisfying. SAB is Etowah's Student
Government and handles events such as Homecoming and Honor's Night. As
President of the SAB, she received a lot of satisfaction being a leader
to the school and making a difference.
Melissa's community service includes being
a cheerleading coach for middle school girls, Vacation Bible School teacher,
Festival of Trees volunteer and volunteering at MUST Ministries. Her involvement
with coaching cheerleading has made the most impact on her because it
provided her with new challenges, and it was an opportunity to share the
sport she loves with other girls. Melissa states, "The lessons I learned
while coaching cheerleading will always be a part of me."
After graduation, Melissa plans on attending
Mercer University on an academic scholarship. Melissa's career goal is
to become a pharmacist. Upon graduation from college, she hopes to attend
the Southern School of Pharmacy to receive her Doctor of Pharmacy and
a Masters in Business. While at Mercer, she hopes to be part of the cheerleading
program and other leadership activities.
According to Melissa, one of the biggest
issues facing high school students today is the ability to express individuality.
"Teenagers need acceptance from others, and sometimes standing out is
looked down on. It can be difficult to be an individual," commented Melissa.
Melissa takes pride in the fact that she's an individual who has chosen
to avoid many of the things high school students fall into, such as drugs
and alcohol. She is proud of the fact that she has gained the respect
of many people who she respects such as her parents, teachers and community
members. "Knowing that others see me as a young woman with strong morals,
a positive attitude and a good heart enables me to excel and to be proud
of the person I am," states Melissa.
In the year 2013, Melissa, as well as the
rest of the Class of 2003, will celebrate their 10-year reunion. The
TowneLaker asked her how she would respond if the RSVP included a
brief update. This is what she said, "The past ten years have gone by
so quickly, but I have made the most of every second. While attending
Mercer University, I studied pharmacy and after six years of hard work,
I finally received my Doctor of Pharmacy and Masters in Business. Also,
while in college, I was a cheerleader, a sorority member and Student Government
President. After graduation, I found a job at a pharmaceutical corporation,
and I am now working my way up the corporate ladder. In 2011, I married
my high school sweetheart who is now finishing medical school. We recently
had our first child, a boy. We joined a church and are becoming important
members of our local community. I am extremely happy with my life and
the future that lies ahead."
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Farina Islam's Academic
achievements include: Georgia Certificate of Merit, Certificate of Honor
from the National Honor Roll, Certificate of Honor from Who's Who Among
American High School Students, TOPS for Woodstock High School, Varsity
Letter for Academics and Who's Who for Woodstock High School.
While at Woodstock High School, Farina was
President of the Woodstock Activists and Volunteer (WAVES) Club. She is
also on the Executive Board for the Woodstock High School Habitat for
Humanity. Farina is a Student Representative for the National Conference
of Community and Justice (NCCJ), a counselor for Camp Anytown and a coordinator
for MUST Ministries. She also works part time at Subway where she is a
shift manager and an Assistant Manager during summer. Of all her leadership
roles, Farina has enjoyed the NCCJ the most. The organization fights against
bigotry and racism and promotes tolerance among youth. She helped start
a Minitown at Woodstock High. The Minitown brought students together to
discuss issues such as stereotyping, tolerance and other issues affecting
the lives of teens. According to Farina, this program brought students
closer and got them involved in community and school activities.
In the community, Farina volunteers at MUST
Ministries and as a volunteer builder for Habitat for Humanity. She assists
with Special Olympics and has helped organize a prom for special education
students in Cherokee County. She also has volunteered for the organization,
Hands on Atlanta. Of all her community involvement, volunteering for MUST
Ministries has made the most impact on her. She has come to appreciate
how lucky she is, and she gets a tremendous amount of satisfaction from
helping.
After graduation, Farina plans on attending
college and major in Biology and Pre-Med. She would like to stay involved
in community service and will continue to work part-time to pay for her
schooling. She would like to pursue medical school and go into the medical
field.
Farina feels that the biggest issue high
school students face is acceptance from society and peers. "It is hard
to take your own path when the media, peers and other outside influences
affect it," states Farina. She is proud of the obstacles she has overcome
and of the support she receives from her family. "I moved to the U.S.A
in 1992 from Bangladesh and had to adapt to the culture and learn a new
language. I have succeeded, and I am eager to learn new things," said
Farina. She is proud to be one of the top students in her class. She's
been accepted to Oxford at Emory and the University of Georgia. She prides
herself on her tenacity, and she's working on getting several scholarships
for college.
For her 10-year reunion, Farina provided
the following response for a possible update on her life. "Because of
my hard work and achievements at UGA and medical school, I have become
an acclaimed physician. With my education, I have helped many patients
and their families who otherwise couldn't receive the necessary medical
treatment due to lack of health insurance. I have traveled to many countries
and helped in foreign hospitals and towns that were in major need of my
expertise. My heart's desire has been to help improve the quality of life
of those who come into my care."
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