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About Melanie

From an early age, Melanie possessed unique characteristics that one might not typically find in children her age. Melanie was wise beyond her years and as she became a young adult, she was both a visionary and a realist. At a young age, Melanie loved making people laugh and loved to perform. She started performing in elementary school plays and attending theater classes at the Children’s Arts and Theater School (CATS) in Arlington, Texas. She performed in several plays at CATS and with Kitten Company. As her love for live theater intensified, Melanie attended classes at Theater Arlington where she spent eight years performing on stage, working backstage, and touring with Theater Arlington’s ambassador group, Standing Room Only (SRO). Melanie also worked as an intern with the summer camps, volunteered at the camp offered by the theater for homeless children and underprivileged youth, and also worked the box office.
Her love for theater carried over into high school where she majored in Drama and performed in various plays. Melanie was an accomplished member of the Thespian Society and received numerous awards for her involvement in theater and music including Most Promising Newcomer, Best Supporting Actress, Best Actress, the coveted Bowie Theater Stanisiavsky Award, and Theater Arlington’s Stoney Award for Best Youth Actress in Major Supporting Role in Oliver.
Although Melanie was often in the spotlight, she shared the spotlight with every person on stage. She encouraged and had fun with her fellow performers, stage directors, costumers, and the stage crew. Melanie knew each performance was a team effort and appreciated each person’s role in making every show a success. Her final performance in the Theater Arlington Youth program was the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella.

Melanie graduated cum laude in her class and also received the principal’s award. While she thoroughly enjoyed her High School years, Melanie was looking forward to attending college and living “the college life”. She attended the University of North Texas (UNT) to major in Radio, Television and Film (RTF). She loved everything about college from the freshman camp, coffee shop, her dorm room mates, football games and pep rallies, and being a Mean Green Fighting Eagle. Her social attributes, outgoing personality and years of theater experience gained her early acceptance into the RTF program where her ambition was to become a television personality and “make a difference”.

Melanie was also very strong in her faith. She shared her faith through music by singing solos, singing with the choir, Praise Team and leading the Youth Praise Team at St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church in Arlington, Texas for several years. As a freshman at UNT, Melanie became very involved in the activities at the Denton Wesley Foundation that served the college students at UNT and Texas Women’s University (TWU). She was part of the leadership team, a singer with the Chi Rio Praise Band, and a member of the Seraphim Choir. In May, 2007, Melanie traveled with the Seraphim Choir to Northern Ireland where they toured and performed in Belfast and throughout Northern Ireland.

Her view of life was not through “rose colored glasses”, but rather through a kaleidoscope of brilliance, a sense of right from wrong, generous with her kindness and had an uncanny need to accomplish many great life achievements while unknowingly touching and influencing people in ways unimaginable. Everyone said Melanie lit up the room when she walked into it.
Melanie’s uniqueness set her apart; she was a beautiful young lady and as many would say: “she never took a bad picture”. Her sense of fashion and style combined with her charismatic personality made her undeniably adorable.
Melanie was on course to great personal achievement until the fatal evening in September, 2007. Melanie will forever be remembered and continue to live in the hearts of many, many people that she positively influenced in her short nineteen years of life. She is loved and is greatly missed.



		About Melanie From an early age, Melanie possessed unique characteristics that one might not typically find in children her age. Melanie was wise beyond her years and as she became a young adult, she was both a visionary and a realist. At a young age, Melanie loved making people laugh and loved to perform. She started performing in elementary school plays and attending theater classes at the Children’s Arts and Theater School (CATS) in Arlington, Texas. She performed in several plays at CATS and with Kitten Company. As her love for live theater intensified, Melanie attended classes at Theater Arlington where she spent eight years performing on stage, working backstage, and touring with Theater Arlington’s ambassador group, Standing Room Only (SRO). Melanie also worked as an intern with the summer camps, volunteered at the camp offered by the theater for homeless children and underprivileged youth, and also worked the box office. Her love for theater carried over into high school where she majored in Drama and performed in various plays. Melanie was an accomplished member of the Thespian Society and received numerous awards for her involvement in theater and music including Most Promising Newcomer, Best Supporting Actress, Best Actress, the coveted Bowie Theater Stanisiavsky Award, and Theater Arlington’s Stoney Award for Best Youth Actress in Major Supporting Role in Oliver. Although Melanie was often in the spotlight, she shared the spotlight with every person on stage. She encouraged and had fun with her fellow performers, stage directors, costumers, and the stage crew. Melanie knew each performance was a team effort and appreciated each person’s role in making every show a success. Her final performance in the Theater Arlington Youth program was the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella. Melanie graduated cum laude in her class and also received the principal’s award. While she thoroughly enjoyed her High School years, Melanie was looking forward to attending college and living “the college life”. She attended the University of North Texas (UNT) to major in Radio, Television and Film (RTF). She loved everything about college from the freshman camp, coffee shop, her dorm room mates, football games and pep rallies, and being a Mean Green Fighting Eagle. Her social attributes, outgoing personality and years of theater experience gained her early acceptance into the RTF program where her ambition was to become a television personality and “make a difference”. Melanie was also very strong in her faith. She shared her faith through music by singing solos, singing with the choir, Praise Team and leading the Youth Praise Team at St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church in Arlington, Texas for several years. As a freshman at UNT, Melanie became very involved in the activities at the Denton Wesley Foundation that served the college students at UNT and Texas Women’s University (TWU). She was part of the leadership team, a singer with the Chi Rio Praise Band, and a member of the Seraphim Choir. In May, 2007, Melanie traveled with the Seraphim Choir to Northern Ireland where they toured and performed in Belfast and throughout Northern Ireland. Her view of life was not through “rose colored glasses”, but rather through a kaleidoscope of brilliance, a sense of right from wrong, generous with her kindness and had an uncanny need to accomplish many great life achievements while unknowingly touching and influencing people in ways unimaginable. Everyone said Melanie lit up the room when she walked into it. Melanie’s uniqueness set her apart; she was a beautiful young lady and as many would say: “she never took a bad picture”. Her sense of fashion and style combined with her charismatic personality made her undeniably adorable. Melanie was on course to great personal achievement until the fatal evening in September, 2007. Melanie will forever be remembered and continue to live in the hearts of many, many people that she positively influenced in her short nineteen years of life. She is loved and is greatly missed.