Melissa is a lifelong Kansan and a graduate of Kansas State University and Rockhurst University, where she earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Speech-Language Pathology. She began her career working full-time in a school district setting while also serving in a PRN capacity within an acute care setting.
Her passion has always been in pediatric placements, finding fulfillment in watching students demonstrate newly acquired skills and experience the joy of communication and relationship-building. With over 20 years of experience, Melissa has worked with individuals with receptive and expressive language delays, articulation and phonological disorders, fluency disorders, and AAC needs. She has also enjoyed supporting Early Childhood Disability and Autism programs within school-based settings.
Several years ago, she authored a grant titled Playdate to Communicate in response to limited progress observed in traditional therapy sessions. This initiative sparked a strong belief in the power of pretend play to engage students and promote skill development.
