My name is Melissa Sutton, and I am currently a freshman at The Ohio State University. I grew up in Gahanna, Ohio, attending two different small private schools before moving to a little town in Sunbury, Ohio, just last summer. As a result of going to small schools and growing up in a buckeye family, I have longed for the opportunity to be here at Ohio State. My family consists of my parents, myself, my three sisters, and our various pets. Growing up as the second oldest, I have learned to take the lead many times in life, and I have also learned that my younger sisters look up to me and may follow the things that I do and say. As a result, I enjoy taking the lead, and it has been very important to me that I set a good example for them. I absolutely love creating art and music. I also enjoy reading and all things outdoors. Sports has also been a major part of my life; volleyball is definitely my favorite. In grade school, I made it a goal to receive all A’s on every quarter and every report card I received. It was very hard work at times, but I kept to my studies and ended up being valedictorian of my class. Academics are very important to me, as they have created many other opportunities in my life. At the moment, I am majoring in Engineering. I do not know exactly what my goals and plans for a job are; however, I enjoy math and creating things, so I believe that I have started in the right place. If I do continue in engineering, I hope to have a couple internships or co-ops under my belt by the time graduation rolls around. When it comes to the environment, I support sustainability, and I truly do enjoy outdoor adventure. In this world, we waste so many things every day. I believe in sustainability because it will help create a better world for our future children and families. Many people do not give this concept much thought because they do not care about the results, thinking that they will effect the younger generation rather than themselves. However, the truth is we all need to be conscious of how to create a better world. On the other hand, I do enjoy outdoor adventure. I have not been able to experience many things that I would want, but I definitely have enjoyed the experiences that I have had. When it comes to the outdoors, camping, kayaking, and looking at the stars are three activities that I absolutely love. I hope that being in this scholars program brings opportunities to serve others and also learn some new things. I am very excited for the different adventures that will come, and I could not be happier already with the people I have met through this program.