Melissa is one of the English teachers here at ACE. She is also a former student of ACE. Being a teacher isn’t always what Melissa wanted to be. She wanted to be a professional cheerleader, dancer, and work in the medical field, but coming to ACE as a student made her want to be a teacher. Melissa didn’t start teaching here at ACE; she first worked in New Milford as an English teacher for 10 years and then came to ACE where she has also spent 10 years.

I interviewed Melissa and asked her, “What fun and crazy things did you do as a student at ACE?” She said, “The most fun I had while a student was when we went on a ski trip in Vermont and it had a kids center, basketball, and a pool while something crazy was when practicing for a 50-mile hike I stepped on a log and got pulled into the water.” Since she was a student here at ACE, she shared some of the activities they had, which included an after-school acting club and door-to-door drama where they would create skits and then go to schools to perform them. 

Melissa is not only a teacher, but she’s also a mom. She has a 3-year-old daughter, and when asked about her, Melissa said, “Liliana is smart but a handful, funny, and dramatic.”

I came to ACE as a new student in January, and my first impression of Melissa was she’s a very understanding person. Since I came to ACE, she has always made me feel welcome and always listens to the crazy things I tell her during lunch.

“Keep in mind what students are going through outside of school to help understand and create relationships” is the advice that Melissa has for any new teachers.