Born in San Francisco, California, Melissa grew up in Southern California and Arizona, attending Chaparral High School and later Indiana University. Wanting to be an actress from an early age, it wasn't until after college that she began both formal training and auditioning. Since then, Melissa has worked on film, web, and commercial projects and can be seen in the popular film "Instructions Not Included,"(2013) and the web-series "The ABC's of Online Dating." (2012-2013) In 2015, she was nominated in the Best Actress category at the IndieCapitol Awards for her role as "Annie" in the short film, "As Is;" a film that was also named runner-up for Best Film at DC's 48 Hr Film Project and tied for Best Ensemble Cast.Melissa has also appeared in commercials and print work for Baby Jogger, Navy Mutual, Chicco and PetSmart, and she has done voice-over work for Maryland's 529 college plan. She also hosted Audi of America's monthly internal news show, Audi Progress, for over three years, ending her tenure in 2016.Melissa has a degree in psychology from Indiana University and is married to saxophonist, Steven Temme. Together, they have two little girls and a baby boy who keep life sweet (and hilarious).