Melissa is an artist who had been teaching art in Brooklyn when she moved to Ithaca in 2006.  She volunteered with ODE at the start of 2023 and developed a quick attachment to the warm community of staff and students, prompting her to make a leap from teaching art to teaching English.  She brings a love of experimentation and creativity to the classroom and makes it her goal to help students find satisfying ways to express themselves, their experiences, and their individual perspectives.  Combining her two enthusiasms, Melissa also teaches “Art to Open Doors”, a class where students experiment with making art while simultaneously developing their English Language skills.