ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, June 6, 1996 TAG: 9606060009
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: N-11 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN A. MONTGOMERY SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES
Thomas Salter knew that he wanted to be an engineer before he knew what engineering meant.
"As a kid I really enjoyed playing with Lego blocks,'' said Salter, co-valedictorian along with Leeanna White at William Fleming High School this spring, pending next week's final grades. Salter and White will lead 235 Fleming students through graduation exercises on June 13 at 2 p.m. at the Roanoke Civic Center.
Salter has parlayed his childhood toy interest into an academic pursuit: This fall, he will study computer engineering at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.
He carries a 4.3 grade-point average (advanced placement classes and participation in the Governor's School and the CITY School carry extra weight), and he scored 1,390 (680 verbal, 710 math) on his SAT tests. "I was real happy with that,'' Salter said.
Salter doesn't spend all his time poring over books and staring at a computer monitor. He played on the golf team for two years, serving as team captain last season, and played basketball and bowled in earlier years. He's president of the French Honor Society, and participates in the Beta Club and student government.
Salter also served as the chief prosecuting attorney for a mock trial held at Fleming earlier this year. "I've always been interested in law,'' he said, "but I don't think at this point I'll go to law school.''
Salter's parents were schooled in the Roanoke area. His mother, Deborah, a teacher's aide at Morningside Elementary, is also a Fleming graduate; and his father, Thomas, a Roanoke city police detective, graduated from Lord Botetourt. He has two younger brothers.
"They're both active in sports and do well [academically],'' Salter said. "Before long, they're going to make me look bad.''
Salter also considered Virginia Tech, MIT and Yale, but selected Cornell "because they offered me a really good financial aid program. Cornell is a top school that became the most affordable. And the town [Ithaca] is about the size of Blacksburg.''
Salter has also earned a bevy of local scholarships (Kiwanis, $1,200; Rotary, $1,000; Police Benevolent Association, $1,000; Beta Club, $300).
After completing his schooling, Salter plans to work in computer design and research. "Probably something in artificial intelligence,'' he said. "Working with adaptive programs where we can learn from mistakes and solve problems.''
Salter taught himself how to write computer programs, and he has since taken formal courses. "I'm still refining my skills and developing some new ones,'' he said.
Salter is proud that he has gone to school in Roanoke for all 12 years, attending Monterey Elementary and Breckinridge Middle School before moving to Fleming.
"It's been fantastic,'' Salter said, referring to his educational opportunities. "I feel I've gotten the best education possible ... . It's really been a blast.''
LENGTH: Medium: 64 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: Salter (headshot)by CNB