Melissa’s entertainment journey started as a baby, when her mom, a music and theater director, brought her to rehearsals, where her car seat sat at the foot of the stage. As she outgrew the car seat, Melissa embraced her love for performance, landing roles in theater while simultaneously making a name for herself in the swimming world—winning the Minnesota high school state championship in the 100 butterfly and earning a Division I scholarship to the University of Utah, where she became a team captain and record holder.
After college, Melissa returned to Minnesota to reconnect with her theater roots and began a career in modeling and TV hosting. In 2018, she was the first runner-up to Miss Minnesota USA and traveled nationally and internationally as a model. In 2019 she moved to Los Angeles where she started training with the Groundlings Theatre and School and discovered a love for comedy and sketch writing. Weaving in her musical background, she writes musical parodies backed by her ukulele. Melissa has also trained with Howard Fine’s Acting Studio, Anthony Meindl's Actor Workshop, and Lisa Sundstedt's Pretty Funny Women.
Currently, Melissa performs stand-up comedy at renowned venues including The Comedy Store and has a nationally airing hosting spot.