She attended Hartwick College where she studied Visual Arts and Education. Melissa graduated from Hartwick in 2008 with her Bachelor of Arts in studio art and obtained her New York State Teacher’s Certification in Visual Arts K-12 in 2009. Melissa moved west to San Francisco in 2009 to study painting at the Academy of Art University where she received her Master of Fine Arts in painting in 2012. Melissa is currently painting and teaching art in New York City.