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mg, Dy me strengtn ol personality, by a genius^ Intelligence Quotient, by being “connected,” or by standing in line for a self-esteem prize.
She earned the high honor through perseverance, diligence, and hard work.
It did not come easily.
“She did what she wanted to do to make herself successful,” said her mother, Cindy Thornhill, of Boston. “It was up to her. Her determination is huge.”
What did she have to sacrifice to beat out another student with whom she ran neck-andneck—the Class Salutatorian Lara Kreyling, who will attend the University of Virginia in the fall? Brittany gave up going out on some weekends, and joining her mother on shopping and other fun trips. Brittany said, “And I sacrificed lots of sleep, mostly sleep.”
She had to work hard just to stay ahead. Said Brittany, “I was aware of the competition. Lara was naturally smart, and I’m not naturally smart.” Her desire was “personal more than anybody pushing me,” she said. “I wanted to see if I could accomplish something. I started the senior year at Number One, and I wanted to finish as Number One.”
Early in her senior year, she was recruited by 11 colleges and universities for her softball pitching abilities; she was in ninth grade when the girls’ softball team won the State Championship.
Of those that recruited her, she decided on the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y., which, along with the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, and the U.S. Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, make up America’s service academies for which Congressional appoint
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