Mel always knew that she wanted to be a teacher and soon after obtaining her Teaching License she quickly realized just how much of a life-long learner she too would forever be.
The inquisitive and awesome preschoolers in her novice years as a Head Start teacher set her on this path. She went on to achieve her Masters in Early Childhood Education and within a 5 year period, also became a mom of 3 (who are now all teenagers!). Juggling mommy-hood and working FT in a new state as an Infant Toddler Specialist, she continued to broaden this lens of learning. Providing coaching and training to the early care workforce further expanded her lens to understanding the awesome range of diversity including cultures, values, and beliefs of others. She soon gained her PITC certification in Modules I-V.
Changing position to a Quality Improvement Specialist when GROWNJKIDS was piloted in our state, and later as a Lead Trainer continued to feed this desire to keep growing and learning in quality best practices. Mel currently serves as the NW chapter President of New Jersey's Coalition for Infant Toddler Educators (CITE) since 2018 which has broadened this lens to a state-wide policy level.
More recently, with a focus on mental health, Mel completed 3 consecutive years in the Intensive Fellowship in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health at the Center for Autism and Early Childhood Mental Health at Montclair State University. This lead to obtaining Endorsement as an Infant Family Specialist with the NJ-Association of Infant Mental Health, and to a new career as a Pyramid Model coach, where she can inspire other teachers to continue to grow and learn from their children's families and their communities, so that we can all see with clarity the value we continue to learn.