Town: Lewisburg

High School: Greenbrier East High School

GPA: 4.16667

Plans for after graduation: Attend either Columbia University or MIT to study either computer or electrical engineering. Her dream job is to work for Google or Facebook and then start her own website business.

Striving for Excellence

Motivation, Time Management Are the Secrets to Success For One Greenbrier County Student 

Between taking her daily course load at Greenbrier East High School and participating in the school's band and tennis team, Melissa K. O'Sullivan manages to cram her "free" nights with online advance placement courses, all while maintaining her place at the top of her class. 

So how does she do it? 

The high school senior said it's all about motivation and time management. 

These are just a few of the reasons O'Sullivan's guidance counselor, Kay S. Jones, nominated her for the EQT Students of Excellence scholarship. That nomination resulted in O'Sullivan winning a full-ride scholarship from the EQT Foundation worth up to $18,000 per year for four years.

Jones said a teacher alerted her of the scholarship opportunity the day before it was due. Scrambling to get nominations together, Jones pulled together seven names, including O'Sullivan. 

Thanks to Jones' efforts, O'Sullivan won one of the big scholarships which will be used at the school of her choice. 

"She's definitely a student of excellence," Jones said. "She's multi-dimensional. She's well-rounded, and she's a model student and model citizen." 

For O'Sullivan, the scholarship will help her in her quest to attend either Columbia University or MIT. 

"I'm really excited," she said. "I've demonstrated that I've found my passion, and I'm pursuing it. I'm not going to use the money to figure out what I want to do. I know what I want to do." 

And that passion is computer and electrical engineering. O'Sullivan said she has had a passion for math since an online math course she took a couple of years ago. 

"I discovered that I really loved it," she said. "I took an AP computer science class online as well, and I liked computer programming. It's like math, but it's more structural and organized." 

O'Sullivan dreams of taking her passion of computer sciences to work for Google or Facebook after college. 

"Eventually, I would like to start something of my own," she said. "Like something based on a specific idea like a website." 

One of O'Sullivan's teachers highlighted this passion when writing his recommendation to the Governor's Honors Academy. 

"Melissa is a hard-working young lady and has a genuine interest in science," the recommendation stated. "This inquisitive nature spills over into nearly every subject area, and she is knowledgeable about a host of subjects." 

The recommendation additionally states, "Melissa demonstrates her excellence daily in her academic courses. I have observed Melissa's great interest in science through her participation in lab activities and class discussion." 

Jones described O'Sullivan as "driven" and "motivated," recalling times when O'Sullivan would ask to take online advance placement courses because they were not offered at her school.  

"She came to me asking if she could take a computer programming course," Jones recalled. "Then, she wanted to take AP calculus and she asked if she could do that through Johns Hopkins so she could get into the senior class calculus course. She did that in the summer between her sophomore and junior years." 

O'Sullivan completed the pre-calculus online honors class through Johns Hopkins and completed advance calculus classes her junior and senior years. She also completed AP chemistry and AP computer sciences courses. 

"I knew people in other areas who had access to other courses, and I wanted to make sure I could go to Columbia or MIT and not be restrained by the classes. Luckily, the school has been really accommodating." 

After school, one might find O'Sullivan playing tennis or playing music. O'Sullivan is a member of the school's Spartan Band and loves to play the clarinet, guitar and saxophone. 

"I've been involved in music since middle school when I started playing the clarinet," she said. "I fell in love with the guitar. I also started playing tennis and volleyball when I was in middle school." 

The Governor's Honors Academy recommendation stated that O'Sullivan's participation in school teams has helped her to become a "well-rounded" individual. 

"Her experiences on the courts have taught her to participate as a member of a team and to be personally accountable," it states. "These character traits are visible in the classroom and community activities as she works well in groups and interacts positively with others." 

Her love of music carries over to her elusive free nights, as well. When O'Sullivan breaks away from her busy lifestyle, she said she enjoys playing music with her friends. 

"A lot of my friends play music so we play together," she said. "It's what I like the most because there is a lot of music here. It's the culture of my town." 

Although O'Sullivan says her life is busy, she said she takes it in stride to ultimately accomplish her goals. 

"It's a lot of late nights," she said. "It's just a lot of planning ahead and deciding what's important."