Melissa graduated from U.C. San Diego with a degree in History and a desire to teach. After spending five years with middle schoolers, she joined the world of educational technology, and has worked as an instructional designer, trainer, tech support representative, and project manager. She has helped hundreds of schools and districts learn how to use various Blackboard products to achieve their communication goals. Her interests include animals (especially her three cats Amelia, Batgirl, and Tuffy), travel, photography, and trying new restaurants with her husband.