Melanie is receiving this honor because she shows empathy, compassion and respect. She is committed to service, and she works hard to make a positive difference in the lives of others and in the world around her. Melanie has loved being a student at Hogg M.S., and she is really looking forward to her 8th grade year. Her favorite subject is Language & Literature because she loves reading and writing. She is in the Make-Up Advocacy class, and she is a very talented make-up artist. She enjoys this class so much because she feels like it gives her a way to express herself. She has also fallen in love with her Culinary Arts class this year because she enjoys tasting new foods and learning how to garden.

Melanie was born with Cerebral Palsy which affects her movement, muscle tone, and posture. She weighed 2 pounds at birth, and shortly after had heart surgery to repair a hole in her heart. In addition, she had hip surgery when she was 6 and 8 years old.  She has been in her wheelchair for 13 years, and has been in and out of physical therapy (PT) her whole life. While in therapy, she has had the opportunity to walk with a walker, and she has even learned how to ride a bike around the PT facility at Texas Children's Hospital. While she is very willing to share her story, Melanie doesn't let her disability define her or ever slow her down! She likes to focus on being a normal teenager, and she believes she can do anything she puts her mind to. She loves to chat with her friends on her phone, she is passionate about writing about things in the world that inspire her, and she enjoys listening to music. She loves photography and always tries to snap pictures of places that she visits around Houston. How lucky are we to have Melanie as part of our Razorback family?!