Melissa Brisso:  

Life Living in Eureka, CA with my husband of 38 years, Paul. We met at Humboldt State University in Arcata. I earned a teaching credential in history and Spanish in 1974. In 1975 we moved to Sacramento so that Paul could attend McGeorge School of Law, UOP's law school. In 1978 we moved to Fresno for a year as Paul was offered a clerkship with the 5th District Court of Appeal. We decided to move back north in 1979 and have been here since. In 1979 there were no teaching positions available. (Redwood National Park had just been approved and timber related families were leaving the area.) I was office manager for a dentist for a number of years. I bit the financial bullet and began substitute teaching. I had a couple of part-time positions until 1994. I then took a position at Hoopa Valley High School on the Hupa Valley Indian Reservation. It is a public high school with about 47% native population. I taught college prep Spanish. In 1998, again biting the financial bullet, I decided the 3 hr commute was jus...Expand for more