My name is Melody Doudna. I am a junior at Franciscan University of Steubenville, majoring in early childhood education with a minor in theology. I was born and raised in Fairbanks, Alaska, and have appreciated experiencing cultures very different from home, both here in the Ohio Valley and during my recent semester abroad in Austria. It is good to be back to my studies this fall, after a busy summer managing a hotel in Alaska. Right now I’m especially enjoying growing deeper in pedagogy of teaching and learning strategies, and am working to use my theological studies to better understand how to teach the ‘whole person’ in each child I encounter.

When I’m not in classes or studying, I am an active member of the Servants of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, serve as the Head of Sacristans for the campus chapel, and love to spend time with friends here on campus as we all strive to grow into the men and women God is calling us to be. As I move toward student teaching and graduation, I am excited to continue exploring different teaching environments, both in the Tri-State area and in Alaska, to figure out where I could do the most good as a teacher.