Melissa is an Associate Enrolment Services Advisor, where she assists prospective students, current students, and alumni with issues relating to registration, admissions, student loans, finances, and lots more! What Melissa enjoys most about working in ES is: “I like being able to work one-on-one with students to solve problems and alleviate stress. It can be challenging navigating the institution while also balancing academics, work, and other real-life things, so I’m always happy to help make things easier for students.”
So Melissa where did you recently jet-set off to?
I went on tour with my band, Necking. We traveled the West Coast, starting in Vancouver and ending in Los Angeles!
What did you find different from tour compared to your other travels?
I think something people forget is that touring is work, not vacation. We’ve been able to visit some really cool cities, but most of the time is spent in a van, trying to find decent places to eat in the awkward time between soundcheck and the show, or sleeping!
With so much time on the road when were you able to stop for food?
Touring means eating at a lot of gas stations. Beef jerky, hard-boiled eggs that come in little plastic bags, sad salads from the most disappointing deli sections in North America. Corn dogs were a staple food item in our van and to be honest, they’re the best. Could be Stockholm Syndrome, but I think honey crunch corn dogs are the finest food in the entire world and that’s a hill I’m willing to die on.
What was your most memorable moment of your West Coast tour?
The most memorable moment of this trip was playing at The Echo in Los Angeles, a venue some of my favourite bands growing up played. The best part though was driving through Death Valley. It’s the strangest and most beautiful terrain. It’s like Mars but with lizards.
What have you learned from your West Coast tour?
Touring is essentially one long road-trip. So my best road-trip advice is to always pack earplugs for naps, and wet wipes because trust me, you’ll need them.