Melissa spent the first five years of her life in Tripoli, Libya, where she was introduced to—and fell in love with—Middle Eastern culture at an early age. She has long advocated for the arts and education, and while living in NYC for 18 years she volunteered with both the Arab American Family Center and the Alwan Center for the Arts. From 1998 to 2010, Melissa co-founded and directed a modern dance company, teaching dance, improvisation, choreography, and Klein Technique™ in NYC and abroad. During this time, she also gained significant experience in researching funding opportunities, grant writing, and relationship cultivation.
In 2018, Melissa developed a creative movement program for the enrichment of refugees and displaced people, and in 2019 she traveled to Lebanon to pilot the project. She continued to build the coursework by incorporating mindfulness-based practices, and in 2021 earned a certificate from The Interdependence Project in Teaching Mindfulness to Children.
After her sister’s family hosted a high school student from Gaza through the U.S. Youth Exchange and Study Program. Melissa began to focus her advocacy on Palestinian students, which ultimately led her to LEO—a connection for which she is deeply grateful.
Melissa currently lives in Connecticut. She is also an ardent animal advocate, photographer, and nature lover who enjoys hiking, biking, baking, and cooking. She supports artisans and traditional crafts for the beauty, history, and stories they carry through the hands of their makers.