Melissa Stoudemayer

Melissa Stoudemayer has spent her entire life immersed in the arts. She began her dance education with the Charlotte School of Ballet and the Charlotte Youth Ballet. She studied with the North Carolina Dance Theatre, the oldest professional ballet company in the state. She trained under several professional dancers, and participated in the annual performance of The Nutcracker to sold-out audiences in Charlotte, North Carolina. Melissa Stoudemayer’s dancing experience included jazz dance. As a member of her high school dance team, the Charlotte Latin Hawkettes, she honed her techniques as a dancer and choreographed routines.

Melissa Stoudemayer continued to pursue a passion for the arts while earning her college education. As an art student, at the University of South Carolina she produced oil paintings, as well as charcoal and watercolor works. Melissa Stoudemayer displayed several of her works in the school’s McMaster Hall for public viewing.

Despite a busy academic career, Melissa Stoudemayer has participated extensively in volunteer activities. She constructed houses with Habitat for Humanity International, assisted rescue shelters in finding homes for abandoned pets, and belonged to the Special Olympics volunteer team. Charlotte-area children also benefited from Melissa Stoudemayer’s volunteer service. She mentored and tutored students with unstable living environments, children residing in low-income households, and young people with learning disabilities.