Melia Grady: Actualized Potential

This once-shy RBC student has blossomed into a sound leader.

By Sterling Giles

Second-year student Melia Grady has had an innate drive to be the best version of herself as long as she can remember. It’s what drove her to run for and eventually be elected as the Richard Bland College of William & Mary (RBC) Student Assembly President, despite never serving in student government up to that point. By participating in JROTC (Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps) all through high school, she bolstered her leadership skills, which gave her the chops to take on one of the most prominent student positions on campus.

One of her top objectives as president is to tend to the diverse voices on campus. This not only pertains to race and ethnicity, but also classification: residential and non-residential students, first- and second-year students, international and domestic students, as well as students with disabilities. Grady and her fellow Student Assembly members are actively formulating ways to keep these different groups engaged on campus and to have their needs met.

“I want to amplify the voices that not everybody gets to hear,” Grady said.

Public service means a great deal to Grady. But becoming a biomedical engineer is her life calling.

Grady, a first-generation student, landed on her major after several bouts of trial-and-error. But after gaining advice from high counselors, watching YouTube videos and trying different courses, she decided biomedical engineering would be her career path. Once she graduates from RBC, she will attend a four-year university to pursue her major and from there she will go to pharmacy school.

Prior to attending Richard Bland College, Grady was unfamiliar with what it had to offer. But during her time here, she’s left no stone unturned by making the most of the resources at her disposal.

“You get so many opportunities just by coming here,” she said. “Just taking one semester here can change how you think about school and change your outlook on life.”