Her Story
About Melani
I come from a family surrounded by education, with my grandfather doing systems work with schools on the business side and policy, my mother as an educator, and my uncle as an educator. My grandfather has always been one of my professional guides. As a young person, I didn't want to go into education, but obviously that changed. I've always been driven by wanting to learn more and understand the why behind things, the systems, and all the web that's entangled with everything we do. I love my colleagues who've been in a classroom for 30 years, but I wanted to know outside of that - why are we doing this, how are we doing this, who's affected, who's making the changes, and everything in between. That drive has pushed me to put myself in new situations across my 28-year education career and into my businesses. I researched wellness with kids during my graduate work, which launched my nonprofit. I believe a strong economic community is grounded in a healthy economic community. Last March, I was even approached to run for city council, and one of my strongholds in that campaign was that I get the schools and I get the community because I've put myself in situations where I've learned those things.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Melani
01What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I always tell young women not to shrink themselves to fit into spaces that were never designed with them in mind. A woman's voice or perspective and lived experiences, no matter what their age is, is valuable. Especially in my area of education, wellness, and policy, I think we need women who can lead with both strength and empathy, and understand that systems can and should evolve. I think encouraging women to protect wellness while pursuing their goals is important. Burnout should not be a price of ambition. I've spent years working with so many different areas, and I've learned that sustainability matters, and wellness is not separate from work. Pivoting is important, and don't be afraid to pivot, or evolve, or start over. Some of the most impactful opportunities in my life came after redirection, disappointment, or difficult decisions that I've made, or have been made for me. Stepping away from things like the political race, I had to step away from it, and that doesn't mean that I'm not still deeply committed to public service and policy work, but it was a hard choice to make.
02What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I think working hard is an important path that you should take, and you should always question things and figure out how to grow in different ways. My son pushes me and holds me accountable to be someone that I know he can look up to. I have always shown him that working hard is important, and I want to be someone he can look up to and respect. My family is huge to me, and they're pretty amazing. I'm pretty fortunate to have them in my life. I believe in having integrity and compassion and courage in whatever professional realm you're at, or leadership realm, but I think having that applied to what your own interests and passions are is what keeps you moving forward. Being around friends and family, they're number one.
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