Melissa Burnham

Melissa served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Armenia for two years, where she taught English
in a rural community, learned Armenian, and led trainings on effective teaching methods. She
also developed and delivered workshops on grant writing and project management.

Prior to joining the Peace Corps, Melissa earned an MSc in International Studies of the Middle
East from the University of Edinburgh. Her thesis, which received a distinction, examined the
intersection of Social Movement Theory and post-structural gender theory in the context of the
2011 Egyptian Uprising. During her graduate studies, she was also involved with Amnesty
International’s Supply Chain Justice working group.

Melissa earned her B.A. in International Studies, with a minor in Arabic, from American
University. As an undergraduate, she interned at the European Parliament and the Connecticut
Institute for Refugees and Immigrants. She also participated in the Research Scholars program,
where she researched best practices in mental health care for unaccompanied refugee minors
in Belgium.

In her personal life Melissa enjoys knitting while listening to nonfiction audiobooks, swimming,
and baking. She is excited to return to Washington, DC, to enjoy all the free museums.