District 12 - Melody Lou - Gold

Melody Lou | Legislator Leslie Kennedy's Honoree | Gold Award

Melody Lou is a 10th grader from Commack High School.  Melody Lou earned the Gold Medal for her dedication pursuing the Distinguished Youth Award program. Melody had 2 things in mind when she started out with her goals.  She wanted to start hiking on a weekly basis and be part of the Mock Trial team at Commack High School.  Melody said that her experiences with this program taught her to value the importance of paying it forward and working to make her community even better than it is.

Melody volunteered her services at Formosa Association of Student Cultural Ambassadors (FASCA) where she was Vice-President and encouraged more people to join events and spread more awareness of the Taiwanese culture around New York. Melody is a Suffolk County Girl Scout, as well and a member of the Commack High School Marching Band,  where she learned how to work together with her peers and accomplish great things.  During Covid-19, through her Girl Scouts Troop, she made handmade care packages that included handmade masks, snacks and stuffed animals for seniors living in a local senior facility.

Melody stuck to her plan and participated in the Mock Trial Team.  Her goal was to make the team and win at least one competition—and she did! Melody was a witness character and she proceeded to make all the events until COVID-19. She also won at 2 of the events.

Melody knows that putting in the hard work paid off. She was able to practice and try out for her school play and made it. She improved her acting and is ready to try out for yet another school play when she goes back to school in the Fall.

Melody explored all 15 parks in Suffolk County and had so much fun seeing all the great parks Suffolk County has to offer.  She wanted to get into better shape and started hiking with her family and hiked over 250 hours! Her favorite park was Makamah Nature Preserve and Prosper Pines Nature Preserve.  She and her family went to Glacier National Park last summer and walked a 12 mile trail.  She was so proud of herself.  It also got her to spend more time as a family doing these great exploration activities.  She didn’t let COVID-19 win – she did!