She graduated from the University of California Irvine in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in biology. She earned her Doctor of Optometry (OD) from SCCO in 2010. After working in private practice for a year, Melissa spent a year as an optometry resident at the Veterans Hospital, Sepulveda, CA. While at SCCO as a student leader, she served on the Organizing Committee and the Western Regional Conference at SCCO in 2008; she also served as Vice President, Spanish Optometric Society Chapter, in 2006-07.