Name
Melaina Von Behren
Company/Organization
Saint Joseph Public Schools
What Does Your Company/Organization Do?
Provide students Y5-12th grade a public education. Social Workers in the district, including myself, are specifically trained to provide social skills support, crisis intervention, and mental health support for students.
Age
26
Accomplishments
Master’s in Social Work graduated with honors Full Social Work License School of Social Work scholarship recipient Miss Saint Joseph 2014
What else do you hope to accomplish by the age of 40?
I hope to get involved in more ways in the community as I discover causes I am passionate about. My goal is ultimately to become more of a mentor in my professional field to help students and young adults reach their similar career goals so that more children in our area can be supported in the future. I hope to start a family and raise kids to also fall in love with our community and give back as they can.
Education
Michigan State University-Bachelor’s in Social Work and Master’s in Social Work Saint Joseph High School graduate
What Town Do You Reside In?
St. Joseph
Where were you born?
Chicago, IL
What was your first job?
Caffe Tosi
Best advice you ever got?
Surround yourself with people that support you and make you feel good-it is a big part of how you become successful in the best ways.
Who inspires you most?
Ann Cluff-Superintendent of Eau Claire Public Schools
That one thing about you we’d be most surprised to learn.
I am a huge cat person. I have 4…it is a very cute zoo at my house.
What do you love to do in your downtime?
I love to spend time with family and friends, exercise, clean, spend time with my pets, read, watch a good TV show, go on a date with my awesome boyfriend, take neighborhood walks, and have golf/pool days in the summer.
What book are you reading now?
The Last Thing He Told Me
Volunteer activity you love the most.
Miss Saint Joseph Committee volunteer
What motivates you to give back to your community?
I struggled personally growing up, particularly in high school, with mental health and bullying. The things I am involved in currently were or would be things that helped positively impact me through those struggles. Kids are our future, so helping them while they are young is where their future success begins. I was supported by some awesome individuals when I was struggling, so I just strive everyday to do the same for someone else.
What Superpower would you most love to have? (for example, the ability to fly or to be invisible, or incredible strength, etc)
To take away pain and suffering from everyone
What would you like to leave behind as your legacy once you are gone?
I simply want to be remembered as someone that always stayed positive, and that others enjoyed working with/being around. I would love to be remembered by some students as someone that had a life-long impact on them. I hope people remember me as being supportive and listening when needed.
What does the honor of being named to the 40 Under 40 most mean to you?
It means I am exactly where I am meant to be doing things that I am passionate about. It means I have been blessed to have a great support system to help reach my goals I have always aimed to achieve. It is truly an honor, thank you!
