From her early passion for the arts to a career in education, and now as an author, she has continually shaped narratives that inspire and connect.
Melissa's story is one of tenacity. The joy attained through her experiences as an educator, writer, speaker, and performer come as a result of her dedication to education, diverse communication opportunities, and a passion for writing. While health challenges required her to adapt time after time, one constant in her life has been her continued pursuit of creative expression.
Melissa Royce's journey is one of creative exploration, transformation, and resilience. At the age of nine, she was captivated by the arts and began acting. Diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at fifteen, it intensified and damaged a number of joints by the age of twenty-eight. Unable to maintain the demands required of a working actor’s life, aware of the need for reliable health insurance and stable employment, she set that dream aside.
Shifting careers, Melissa pursued her passion for communication and her family's tradition of education by earning a Master of Education and an English teaching certificate at DePaul University. Simultaneously, employed as an administrative assistant at the Sigma Chi Fraternity headquarter’s Risk Management Foundation, Melissa's role transitioned into an educational consultant, a change prompted by her superiors' appreciation of her creative abilities and educational qualifications. She became responsible for researching and writing RISKWATCH, a nationally award-winning quarterly newsletter addressing critical issues for fraternity chapters.
For further positive impact at Sigma Chi, Melissa utilized previous research and in-house documentation and created an interactive computer program, contributing her own voice to the software’s audio narration. This production earned national recognition and top honors from the College Fraternity Editor's Association. As a result, Melissa’s work took her across the country, presenting at individual Sigma Chi chapters and even to the entire Greek system at the University of California at Berkeley.
Her work with the Risk Management Foundation helped Melissa prepare for her true calling: teaching high school English. Throughout her career, she enthusiastically guided students of diverse abilities from freshman to junior year. As the yearbook advisor, she didn’t just take attendance and babysit, but learned graphic design alongside her students. Melissa nurtured the program until it proudly sent half a dozen staff members to summer yearbook camp.
Her creation of the Shakespeare Scholar Award grew from an in-class assignment to a junior year, class-wide competition held in costume, under the lights, and mic'd on the school’s stage. Initially, the winner earned extra credit; by year four, the victor received accolades at the school-wide, year-end awards ceremony. Beyond the classroom, Melissa became a valued adult leader in the school's senior year Kairos retreat program, further demonstrating her commitment to student growth.
Sadly, the demands of this fulfilling career proved too arduous due to her continuous battle with rheumatoid arthritis. Forced to leave the classroom, Melissa and her husband investigated locations that would offer the best quality of life. After careful consideration, they made their home in Asheville, North Carolina, in 2016.
Throughout life’s transitions, Melissa has maintained a connection to writing. Even before she stepped into the classroom, she took classes sporadically, as life allowed. While at DePaul, she packed her schedule with as many writing courses as possible. And once she settled in Asheville, she consistently sought opportunities to refine her craft, attending the Wildacres Writing Workshop annually since 2018, as well as classes and workshops at the Great Smokies Writing Program, Flatiron Writers, and Gotham Writers.Her editorial experience includes contributions to the 2024 Summer and Winter issues of the literary magazine, Qu. She earned a coveted spot in the Book Development Program at Queen's University in Charlotte, working alongside a senior editor at St. Martin's Press in 2024.
I look forward to spending time with members of my literary community. It's been a long winter, post Hurricane Helene, and I've felt the struggle to fully focus on writing. However, after an invigorating experience at #AWP25 I'm ready to bring that enthusiasm back to Asheville.
A gathering of information that may help me and, perhaps, you too. These are links to articles about rheumatoid arthritis, chronic illnesses and applicable medical findings.
View all notesA Selection from Fiery Grace, my Memoir
Read More