Sophomore Melanie Martinez is involved in FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America) and her church. She looks up to her parents because they have gone through so much to make sure she and her siblings have a good life.

In the future, she aims to be a productive, kind, fearless, and helpful person. She wants to be successful in life and happy with who she becomes. She also wants to complete college and travel the world.

“I want to be the person people come to and trust,” she said.

Her favorite quote is, “I’ve always loved the idea of not being what people expect me to be.”

“This is my favorite quote because it helps me understand that it’s better to be yourself and happy, rather than trying for someone else and not being happy with yourself,” Martinez said.

In her free time, she likes to take naps, read, hang out with her friends, play games with her family, and listen to music. Some of the most important things in her life are her family and pets, getting good grades, friends, God, confidence, and generally just trying to have a good lifestyle.

This year, her favorite classes are culinary and English.

“I love to learn new things and cook, and it’s really fun to try the food,” she said about culinary. “English is probably one of my favorite subjects too. I enjoy writing and reading interesting stories.”

According to her English teacher, Lindsey Fruge, Martinez is an incredibly hard worker and always sets a positive example for other students in the class.

“Melanie is one of the hardest working students I have this year,” Fruge said. “She walks in my class every morning with a smile on her face, and she is always positive and uplifting. She puts everything she has into her assignments, and I always get 110 percent from her on everything she does.”

Martinez’s geometry teacher, Meghan Tinkham, said she is a pleasure to have in class.

“She is one of the hardest workers,” Tinkham said. “She also has the best attitude.”