Friday Harbor High School senior Jean Melborne, a descendent of one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, is the 2012 recipient of the local Daughters of the American Revolution’s “Good Citizen of the Year” award.

In prelude to receiving the award, Melborne was selected by the faculty of Friday Harbor High School as a “Good Citizen” because of her leadership and influence as a positive role model for her peers and for younger students as well. She credits an obligation to set an example for others for striving to demonstrate qualities of dependability, community service and patriotism.

Her ambition is to attend college under an Reserve Officer Training program (ROTC) and to join the Navy after school.

The DAR “Good Citizens” program and scholarship contest encourages and rewards qualities of good citizenship. The program is open to all high school seniors. The student selected as the school’s DAR Good Citizen must have the qualities of dependability (truthfulness, loyalty, and punctuality); service (cooperation, courtesy, and consideration of others); leadership (personality, self-control, and ability to assume responsibility); and patriotism (unselfish interest in family, school, community and nation) to an outstanding degree.

A three-sport athlete, Melborne maintains a 3.23 GPA and volunteers as a Little League Softball umpire and a youth recreational basketball referee in her spare time, and works at the Port of Friday Harbor in summer.

A direct descendent of Robert Treat Paine of Massachusetts, Melborne has much in common with DAR members. Paine was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.