BECKY O'LEARY

Personal: Becky O'Leary is a 17-year-old senior at Elsie Allen High School.

She lives in Sebastopol with her mom, Janet; dad, Dennis; brother Alex, 16; a

cousin and a great-grandmother. The family has two dogs, McKenzie and Trio and

a black cat named Midnight.

Cross your fingers, Doc: She is awaiting confirmation of her role as

valedictorian of her graduating class at Elsie Allen High School and nervously

anticipating another big milestone.

''I've been accepted at the Naval Academy at Annapolis, pending my medical

examination. It's an exciting time for me,'' said the teen who has a 4.4 grade

point average.

She loves her school despite knowing that some outsiders think poorly of

it. She's the first to defend it whenever possible.

''Our teachers really care about the students and always give us extra

attention. Overall, you can tell they love what they do and they are there for

us,'' she said.

Adios, amigos! Hola, amigos: She is an active and dedicated member of

Hessel Church, particularly youth group activities and the annual summer trips

to Mexico to do good works. This summer will be her fourth consecutive year of

participation.

''We put on a vacation Bible school, plan youth rallies, and do things like

put in water filters. Last year, guys from our church built a little church.

We leave our cell phones and iPods at home, so we can go down focused on our

work,'' she said.

She has been studying Spanish in order to be more effective during her

summer trips to Mexico and a small village called Colonia Juarez.

''I don't miss the electronics. I'd rather talk to someone. That's more

rewarding than listing to a song,'' she said.

Just for fun: She loves playing soccer and has played on her school team.

She also likes touch football -- really any kind of running-around game

outside. She also loves reading books that are suspenseful. She is probably

best known for being energetic and for being a speed talker.

Over Christmas break she worked part time at a Christian book store,

banking most of the money but using some for holiday presents. She has her

drivers license and enjoys the independence she has gained.

Her role models include her parents and her great-grandmother.

''My parents, they never waver. They taught me, you stick through. You

stick with what you believe in. And my great-grandmother, she says never to

give up.''

If she could change one thing: It's a happy time in her life and she's

thinking about how she got there. She appreciates the support of her family

and friends and has plans to mold herself into a better person.

''If I could change one thing, it would be to be more humble. To be more

open to group work. I'd like to be strong enough to accept help more often,''

she said.

Challenges ahead: Having grown up with older brothers, O'Leary said she has

few fears about being in a male- dominated environment, like a military

academy.

A recent trip to Pearl Harbor solidified her feelings about military

service. Standing atop the memorial was a very moving experience for her.

''You read about it in textbooks and you think, Yeah, that's sad. But then

you go there and oil is still leaking out of the USS Arizona. It's all

different once you've been there,'' she said.

She hopes to complete her military and college plans and then go on to

medical school. She would like to work as a physician and after retirement use

those skills to serve the poor in Mexico.

''In the military you can retire after 20 years. I would love to go to

Mexico and use my skills to help others,'' she said.

''Being a girl at the academy. I won't let that bother me. It will be fun,

interesting. Besides, guys aren't as catty as girls,'' she said.

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