About Melissa
​After earning my Secondary Education degree from ASU, I started teaching in 2000. The birth of my two children and the life of an active-duty military wife post-September 11th led me to eight years as a stay-at-home mom. During those years I kept active in education, volunteering in my children's classrooms, starting and leading educational programs at my church, and forming a Girl Scout troop. Through the encouragement of an elementary school principal, I joined the Peoria Unified School District in 2010 as a Library Paraprofessional. One year later I was back in the classroom sharing my passion for science and math at Centennial High School. I earned my Master of Natural Sciences degree and National Board Teaching Certification during my time in Peoria, thanks to the support of my Peoria colleagues. In 2017 I was part of a coalition of Arizona physics teachers who worked to get what is now the Get Set for STEM program with the Arizona Department of Education passed through the state legislature. This success led to being named a Master Teacher Policy Fellow with the American Institute of Physics and the American Association of Physics Teachers. The policy education earned through this program accelerated my passion for ensuring great public education policy. An opportunity to teach Physics First in a neighboring district led me to leave Peoria in 2020. Still, I maintained my love of my community and the amazing families I've met during my 23 years living in Peoria. I'm running for Peoria School Board to share my wealth of public education and education policy knowledge with my community. I look forward to working alongside Peoria's students, educators, and families to keep our district the premier choice for families in the Northwest Valley.
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