Wrangler Spotlight
Melina Leverio, a second year student-athlete at Odessa College, has formed into a leader and has been key for the Wranglers this year. Melina was born and raised in Odessa and is extremely proud of this town and community. She grew up with a brother and a sister and is tremendously motivated to make them proud.
Melina is currently majoring in engineering, and plans on graduating from OC this spring. Upon graduation, she hopes to attend UTSA, and continue her degree in mechanical engineering. Melina is excited for her future, and hopes to find a job internationally in Europe, where she would like to design cars.
Q: Who is your favorite professional athlete? Why?
Melina: "My favorite athlete is Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls, NBA) because of all the adversity he has overcome. I also experienced some adversity in my life, and I like how he always gets back up after he falls and continues to work hard."
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Melina: Spain has always interested me because of the experience and culture. I would really like to visit there someday and explore a different part of the world."
Q: What do you do for fun other than sports?
Melina: "I really enjoy watching Netflix, it's like the only thing I do after practice! I love all the TV shows they have, and my favorite one to watch is The 100."
Q: Describe how you feel about being and Odessa College Wrangler?
Melina: "I am so proud to call myself a Wrangler! All of my professors have been extremely nice and helpful, and have put me in a position to succeed. I also love running for Coach Walsh because she has done a great job in motivating me and keeping me on the right path."
After speaking with Head Coach Cate Walsh, she stated, "I was so excited to have Melina back for a second year in cross country. She has faced a lot of challenges and has overcome them with great determination. Her race times continue to improve throughout the season and I'm really proud of how far she's come. I'm looking forward to Melina finishing the season strong and watching her graduate in the spring."
