Melissa Thompson, a 2005 graduate of M-PHS, and a sophomore at Robert Morris University in Moon Township, Pa, recently added another accolade to her lengthy resume.
Attending RMU on a volleyball scholarship, Thompson became a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars at in induction convocation in mid-Sept.
Asked whether she takes more pride in her athletic or academic accomplishments, the teen didnt hesitate to say the latter.
Volleyball will someday be over. School will take me farther, she said.
NSCS inductees must maintain between a 3.5 and 4.0 grade point average and Thompson said she currently has a perfect 4,0 GPA as she aims to be a pre-law major.
She said she considers herself more of a college student than high school and does not like busy work.
A NSCS invitation to the Sept. 17 ceremonies defines the club as a highly selective, nonprofit organization founded at George Washington University to recognize first- and second-year students who excel in academic, leadership and service endeavors.
In addition to playing indoor volleyball Thompson also excels in beach volleyball.
On July 9 she played in her first beach volleyball tournament of the season, the USA Beach Volleyball Pacific Northwest Junior Open that was the first ever in the NW and one of the largest in the U.S.
Thompson and her partner Lindsey Denman won the tournament at the U-18 level.
The talented duo traveled south July 21-22 where they came in fifth-place in the USA Junior Olympic Beach Volleyball championships
As a result of their first-place NW victory they were invited to participate in the USA/AAU Junior Olympic Games July 31-Aug. 3.
Thompson and Denman took home the bronze medal with their third-place performance.
On the hardwood, the RMU Colonials are part of NCAA Division 1 Northeast Conference.
Thompson and her fellow Lady Colonials are currently second-place in the NEC as they head into the conference championships at Long Island University in New York.
She said she does not have a set position at RMU, but rather plays all over the court.
Given the choice between indoor or beach volleyball, the teen does not hesitate to give the latter an enthusiastic thumbs up.
In beach you are a part of every play plus it does not hurt to be in the beach and the sun, she said.
Her favorite place to play is Hermosa Beach, Calif., and said she would love to live there.
Beginning in February, Thompson will put away her indoor shoes and begin intensive training for the beach season.
Keep your eyes out for the next possible member of the U.S. Olympic Team.