What was your first job, and what did it teach you about yourself?

My first job was as a server in an assisted living community. It taught me so much about myself and who I have become. It taught me that we are all looking for a way forward, and that it’s okay to be unsure of that path. It taught me to be an advocate. And it taught me that people are so much more vibrant and surprising and wonderful than I realized.

Pronouns: she/they/them

Melanie DeStefano, the Communications Manager at Baltimore’s Promise, believes that creativity is a vital tool for sparking change. In her role, Melanie plans, oversees, and coordinates the many communication channels with which Baltimore’s Promise interacts with you—our community members and partners.

Melanie joined the Baltimore’s Promise team in August 2023. She arrived with 20 years of experience in the communications field, spanning public relations, journalism, and teaching. Most recently, she spent two years establishing a communications framework for continued success at a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit providing legal advocacy to young people currently and formerly in the foster care system.

Melanie is a graduate of Kutztown University, where she earned a degree in professional writing, graduating with honors. Many years later, she returned to school to earn a master’s degree in creative writing from Chatham University. While there, she taught creative writing to individuals incarcerated in the Allegheny County Jail.

Melanie has spent most of her adult life living in Pennsylvania before moving to Baltimore City in 2023. She is excited to get to know Baltimore and its people better. When she isn’t working, Melanie is usually adding books to her To Be Read list at a faster rate than she can read them.