Melissa is a clinical social work intern for the JFS COMPASS program. She is also the course assistant for the Savvy Caregiver course, helps with the Memory Café, and more generally supports COMPASS families in navigating the difficulties they face. Melissa’s undergraduate work was completed at Penn State University, from which she has a BA in Anthropology and another in Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies. She also has an MA in Transpersonal Ecopsychology from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. Currently, she is working on an MSS in Social Work at Bryn Mawr College.

When she gets free time, Melissa likes to write, read, practice martial arts, and play with her dogs. Spending time with friends and being in nature is also very important to her. One fun fact about Melissa is that she published a nonfiction book with her mentor on nature connection and navigating life’s challenges in 2020.