Meet Meli Launey

Meli (Melissa) Launey will be teaching 4th grade ELA this year at Chets Creek.

Meli has lived in Jacksonville almost her whole life..since 2nd grade. Her parents also live here and her younger sister works at an advertising agency in Tampa. She enjoys reading, watching reality TV, and spending time with her boyfriend, friends and family.

Meli graduated from the University of North Florida with a degree in psychology, but says we don't have to worry, because she doesn't psychoanalyze people. Throughout college Meli worked with children in extended day programs and summer camps and went back and forth, changing her major to journalism, nursing, and education. Ultimately she chose the psychology degree with financial stability weighing heavy on her mind. In her last semester she did an internship in Human Resources with Johnson and Johnson (VISTAKON). That's when she realized that she couldn't work in an office everyday..and that she missed the kids tremendously. So she got certified to teach and landed a job at Lake Lucina Elementary where she has been for the past 5 years. She taught 1st grade, 3rd grade, and 4th the last two years.

Meli says that she has discovered many things about herself in the past five years. One, she has an incredible passion for literature and is obsessed with finding out as much as she can about teaching ELA. Two, she doesn't want to ever be a teacher that gets stuck in a rut and burns out, so... in order to stay excited, she constantly learns more and more. She has spent the last 5 year attending conferences, workshops, and learning as much as she can. She has even been the ELA model classroom. And the last thing she learned is that teaching is what she was meant to do. Meli says she was always an average student, until she started teaching! Amazing how passion about something can make all the difference!

Meli says she stalked Chets Creek's website, blogs, and the amazing NING and knew she NEEDED to be a part of our school. She says, "I had never seen a faculty so full of people just as passionate (...some might call it crazy:) as I am. While I don't have very much traveling experience outside the country, I am excited to travel around the world in 180 days and learn as much as I can this year. I am so glad that I ended up going with my gut and choosing to pursue my teaching career...my pockets may be lighter, but my heart and spirit are full!"