A top scholar with a welder’s touch

Mellies chooses UNL over Harvard, Cal-Tech, Cornell

Brett Mellies paused for this photo in the ag shop during his final day of classes at AHS. Mellies plans to study mechanical engineering next fall at UNL.
Brett Mellies paused for this photo in the ag shop during his final day of classes at AHS. Mellies plans to study mechanical engineering next fall at UNL.

Brett Mellies grew up making things out of metal on the family farm near Phillips and he’s made a name for himself this spring as one of the state’s top academic scholars. The Aurora senior had offers to begin his undergraduate studies in mechanical engineering from some of the best known academic institutions in the world, but in the end he decided to become a Husker. Mellies will enroll this fal…