Melissa’s roots as a social and legal activist took hold when she learned about the civil rights movement during middle-school classes. In high school she was active in Amnesty International. Melissa was drawn to Rutgers Law School by the inspiration of the legendary and late "people's lawyer" Arthur Kinoy, who taught at the school for 27 years. Melissa firmly believes that "law shouldn't be held just in the hands of a few, but in the hands of the community," and in "using our status and skill in the empowerment of others."

"I came to law school with two things: an impassioned interest in civil rights, and a motto which has motivated me in times of doubt, a paraphrase of Robert F. Kennedy's famous words, 'If you can't make waves, make ripples.'"

Her passion for Kinoy and civil rights took a visible form last year when Melissa created a quilt to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the landmark US Supreme Court ruling, Brown v. Board of Education, and the legacy of community lawyering at Rutgers Law School. The framed quilt was auctioned off to benefit a fund for law school students, raising some $5,000.

Over the course of pursuing her dream, Melissa has volunteered her services during summer breaks, first at the Maurice and Jane Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice in Detroit, and more recently at the Mississippi Workers' Center for Human Rights.

Melissa plans to pursue a career in social justice and possibly teach in the field of civil rights. Melissa is also seeking a publisher for her book, "The Criminalization of Poverty." The book addresses her passion for civil rights, in this case, the rights of the homeless.

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