Hometown: Rockville, Md.

On His Honor
A member of the 2009-10 Honor Council, he will fully immerse himself in Davidson's honor system. "I'll get to see how the process works from the inside. Honor is a strong undercurrent of campus life here, and people really respect the Honor Code. Freshman year, it's formal-you go through the signing ceremony and the hall talks, but then as time goes on, it's part of daily life. It becomes ingrained in you."

Character Education
Mellody spent last summer teaching English, history, math and science to low-income middle school students in northern Virginia. "I can definitely see myself in education. It was really rewarding, but challenging. We developed lesson plans completely on our own, and I had four grade levels in one class." He focused on building his students' academic skills, but even more on building character. "Instilling values, showing the importance of hard work-that will serve them well their whole lives."

A Fellow and a Scholar
Davidson has recognized Mellody's leadership, awarding him a Terry Scholarship and naming him to the inaugural class of Chidsey Leadership Fellows. Last year, Mellody and other Chidsey Fellows hosted a conference to encourage underserved Charlotte-Mecklenburg high school students to pursue higher education. "The Chidsey program connects you to a great network of people, and the resources that it provides are awesome."

Guitar Hero
When Mellody began playing guitar in seventh grade, writing original songs came naturally. "Even when I was taking formal lessons, I wouldn't really practice what I was supposed to-I would just kind of mess around." Messing around on the guitar with a former hallmate led to the band You and Your Effects. Its five Davidson student musicians have recorded an original album in Davidson's own recording studios, performed in local venues and enjoyed airtime on the radio.

An Original Composition
Mellody tutors fellow Davidson students at the Writing Center, collaborating with his peers to improve the campus's written word. An English major, his interest in composition led him to the department's creative writing concentration. He finds that his academic studies strengthen his songwriting skills. "Writing poetry is really similar to writing lyrics."