Senior Melissa Meakem, History Student of the Month for September 2022, is the perfect contributor to her Current Issues and Popular Culture in the United States elective. History teacher Mr. Joseph Placenti, recognizes that Meakem holds a positive and understanding attitude towards activities and discussions. Caring about those around her and their many different opinions, she always ensures she is thoughtful, enthusiastic, and is truly dedicated to being sympathetic towards her fellow students and their points of view. Along with being a respectable role model for any student, she has sustained a devoted work ethic for maintaining high grades. Mr. Placenti concluded saying, “She is a pleasure to have in class and to know as a person.”

Once receiving news that she had been awarded September 2022 Student of the Month, Meakem told The Ledger she was pleasantly surprised as she “not only forgot it existed, but there are so many other students at Lakeland, [so] it didn’t seem possible.” She is proud to be nominated for her Current Issues and Popular Culture class as she did not expect to be chosen. She truly enjoys the class as there are only eight students, which “allows for tons of group discussion, making the class more interactive and interesting.” Outside of Lakeland Regional High School, Meakem enjoys playing volleyball and hopes to pursue a career in elementary education. She gladly shared with The Ledger that her favorite TV show is The Simpsons and she has 2 calico cats named Kalani and Katrina.