Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Melissa earned her bachelor’s degree at Indiana University in Bloomington, where she studied study Human Development & Family Studies and French.

Melissa has long embraced a social justice perspective in her studies and in her out-of-class activities. She became particularly interested in human psychology as a high school student while participating in a long-term mentoring program with local grade school students. As a college student in Bloomington, Melissa’s desire to explore social justice and psychology continued. She worked at The Middle Way House, a domestic violence shelter, where she served as an advocate for abused women. Melissa spent the summer after her junior year in Copenhagen, Denmark, where she studied the psychology of early childhood education while working alongside teachers in Danish kindergartens.

As a Weaver Fellow, Melissa hopes to develop a unique perspective of the intersection between legal issues and human psychology. Melissa believes that the Weaver Fellowship will foster an understanding of the legal system that will allow her to be a better advocate for her clients. 

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