Promoting Positive Community and Mental Health Growth Through Volunteering
Our Volunteers
Melissa Terburgh
Originally from West Michigan, Melissa began her career in the sciences after receiving a bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry. After working in blood banking for 7 years, she chose to embark on a career path in teaching. Upon completing a master’s of arts degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, Melissa worked as a professor in a community college before accepting an instructor position with the United States Air Force in southern Texas.
During this time, she had the opportunity to work first hand with international military students from around the globe and witnessed the affects and trauma of war. This lead to an interest in mental health. As a result, she pursued and completed a master’s degree in public health in 2019. During this time, Melissa had the opportunity to intern with the Department of Veteran Affairs where she worked on publishing combat Veterans’ biographies with a specific focus on the link between combat and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
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Her interest in PTSD and the field of mental health has brought her to volunteer for 712 Q.A.C.C. Today, she lives in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with her husband, a licensed social worker, two sons and two cats Sandy and Smokie.
