Melanie was born and raised in Odessa, Texas. She attended Permian High School and lettered in volleyball, basketball, and track all three years, and was offered scholarships in all three sports! Melanie went on to play basketball in college for one year and then transferred over to volleyball for her last 3 years. In 2012, her volleyball career went to the next level and she pursued her childhood dream. She was given the opportunity to play professionally in Europe where she finished the 2013 season with Switzerland. Soon after, Melanie decided to transition over to beach volleyball. In 2015, Melanie joined the U.S. Virgin Islands Nation beach volleyball team and is currently playing on tour. Recent achievements include the 2012 Rio Olympic trials, top 8 finish in the Norceca Pro International Tour, 2018 Barranquilla Central American and Caribbean Games, 2019 Lima Pan American Games, and what is now the 2021 Tokyo Olympic trials. Melanie graduated from college with a B.S. in Biology and B.A. in Chemistry at Our Lady of the Lake University. After college, Melanie worked full time as a Biomedical Research Technician and then as a Laboratory Research Assistant. Melanie is also an Entrepreneur at USANA Health Sciences Inc. and runs a small business in Dominican Republican with her fiancé where she is currently living.
Melanie has worked with children for 15 years. Some of her passions in life are her family, teaching, and the outdoors. She loves seeing the joy that comes when a child learns and masters a new skill. She loves making kids excited about learning. She has taught kids of all ages and enjoys the challenge of connecting and teaching kids from all walks of life. Melanie takes pride in teaching kids English and sharing their passion for the language.
Other Fun Facts:
- Speaks 2 languages - English & Spanish
- Scientists - blood research & animal surgeon
- Actress - Friday Night Lights
- Designer - jewelry
- Motorcycle owner
- Dancing - bachata/hip hop/shuffle/Soca
- Dog owner - Poncho (pitbull/certified service dog) & Playa (rescued dog from a beach in Dominican Republic)
- Traveled to 19 countries
- Spirit animal - white tiger & dolphin
- Favorite quote - "You can't put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get." ~Michael Phelps
Tip for ZE teachers:
- TPR - no such thing as too much TPR and it’s just as important to get the student to do TPR as well
