My name is Melanie, and I was born and raised in Vancouver, B.C. After completing my Bachelors of Science in Food, Nutrition and Health, I continued my education to become an educator of Home Economics at the University of British Columbia. From a young age I have always been interested in food and nutrition, and I want to be able to share that interest. In my spare time I love to knit, crochet and learn about needlework. Music is also a large part of my life; I have played the violin and bass clarinet throughout high school, and in my search for another creative outlet, i have recently begun to learn the electric bass.

Food has always fascinated me. I love all the different tastes and smells, and how there are so many different foods, yet there are many that are the similar around the world. I recall watching cooking shows (Good Eats was my favourite) instead of cartoons when I was 9 because it was a way to learn about food. I continued my interest throughout high school, taking Home Economics whenever I could. When it came time to decide on a career, however, I did not have the intention of doing anything surrounding food. Being a first generation Canadian, my parents sacrificed a lot so that I am able to get a higher education, so University was the only option I had after high school. Although I originally applied to the Faculty of Science, I was accepted into the Faculty of Land and Food Systems, which became a happy accident because there I was able to blend together my love of food with my family’s expectation.

I don’t think I was supposed to become a teacher, though I think many close to me would disagree. I remember looking at possible careers linked to my faculty and kind of chuckled when I saw Home Economics teacher in the list. But the career stuck in my mind, and through my undergrad I found that I enjoyed helping out my classmates and that I was better at explaining concepts than I thought I was. I liked sharing my knowledge, and the idea of being able to make change by sharing knowledge became more and more appealing, What better way to do that than in a classroom?