By JACOB WEEKS/Special to the Sentinel
SOMERS POINT – Leaving high school behind but cherishing the lessons learned, Melina Galias, a 17-year-old Somers Point resident, will soon be flipping to the last page of her four-year athletic career in cross country and spring track.
Now a senior, Galias has been a consistent runner for the Mainland Regional High School girls teams since her freshman fall season. “High school track is very competitive but also very rewarding and fun,” she said, crediting her coaches as well as the two programs that keep her running.
“The coaches are very involved and care so much about the team. They make it so fun and worth coming to practice,” Galias said. Although she does not plan on extending her trophy cabinet in college, it is certain that Galias takes to heart the impressions left by her coaches. Throughout her experiences on the varsity squad, Galias has also been inspired and supported by her fellow teammates. “I have always looked up to the seniors on my team,” she said. “People like Claire Pedrick and Madeline Corbett were huge influences for me.”
Galias agrees with the sentiment that no high school sports season would be the same without the bonds created along the way.
“I love spending time with my teammates, singing songs and celebrating [our] accomplishments,” she said.
Galias takes each and every opportunity to connect with her people and use their words in her own life.
With college ahead, Galias is excited about crafting a career in education. She hopes to one day reciprocate the generosity and compassion of the teachers she has had.
In “middle school and high school, I had a hard time balancing school and sports. My teachers were really able to spend time to make sure I was OK.”
“It helped me through some tough times to have people like that [who] took care of me,” she said, adding she was was encouraged by these teachers to become the person she always knew she could be.
She feels ready to move forward to the challenges that will come after er graduation this spring. One of those challenges is studying English. “I always loved to read and write,” she said, thinking about her passion for all things literature. “I think the lessons that I learned as a kid from books made a big impact on my character. Even the little stories and activities in those [English] classes, I always felt like I learned something meaningful.” She said a personal favorite is “The Outsiders.”
It is obvious books with themes such as kindness, hope and tolerance have cemented their place in Galias’s mind today.