Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Presser.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I began my career as an attorney in 2002, representing children who were involved in both the foster care and juvenile justice systems. As a child who went through trauma herself, I wanted to be able to intervene in the lives of children and young adults in a meaningful and impactful way, and allow their voices to be heard. This was my driving force for going to law school.
I had a long and meaningful legal career spanning 20 years in the criminal justice system, serving in a variety of roles, including as a criminal defense attorney and police legal advisor. Although I was successful by the world’s measure, I was not happy.
In 2020, when COVID hit, I began exploring this unhappiness and praying about where God may want me. I never thought I would come back to my roots, which is to work with children and young adults, but that is exactly what happened. I felt a nudge towards academia, and began to walk in that way.
I was also longing for “home.” I couldn’t describe what that looked like, but I felt deep down inside that it existed. I grew up in Miami, but my career was based in Broward. I had always longed to return to Miami, the place that shaped me and that I loved so much. I never thought it would be possible to start over and have a career there. Little did I know what God had planned.
In 2023, I saw a job ad for a Criminal Justice Professor at Florida Memorial University, South Florida’s only HBCU, and every word of that job description described me! With some hesitation, I applied and was called for an interview. The rest, as they say, is history.
Now I serve as an assistant professor of criminal justice and field placement coordinator at FMU. I feel a peace in my heart that I had been longing for over a period of twenty-plus years. I am once again pouring into the lives of young people, this time in my own community. It just goes to show you the importance of calling, belonging, and the connection to home.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road to finding my peaceful place has definitely not been smooth. I yielded to the expectations of others and society and ultimately placed a burden of expectation on myself. I forgot about my “why” as I climbed the success ladder, and this ultimately led to a lot of suffering. I encountered a lot of heartache and anxiety along the way, the further I got from my calling.
I struggled with trying to understand how I could be so unhappy when I was so successful in the world’s eyes. I came home most days worn, and internally, I was unsatisfied. I said things to myself like, “Is this all there is?” and “How can I go on living so miserably in my career?” This caused a lot of inner turmoil for me and led to me being treated poorly in many of the positions I held. I often held the job title above all else, even when my work environments were so toxic. I believe this also contributed to my later awakening, letting me know that something was definitely wrong. I also struggled to balance work and family life, and longed for a job where that was possible. But overall, I think my departure from my divine calling led to my misery, as evidenced by God helping me find my way back to my purpose and calling.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a lawyer who made the shift into academia, joining the faculty at Florida Memorial University, South Florida’s only HBCU. My work has always included children and young adults, helping them navigate life’s traumas and challenges and assisting them in any way that I can. I have always been known for my work in the community and for bringing people together. Looking out for the best interests of a child or young person often yields differing opinions, but when working as a team, it leads to beautiful, impactful results. I am also known for my ability to be a peacemaker in high-conflict situations and to help people come to amicable resolutions. Ultimately, I consider myself the person who enters difficult spaces when others are not able, kind of like running into a fire to save people rather than running away.
I am most proud of my students at FMU, especially those who are first-generation students who excel and thrive. It has been the greatest honor and blessing to be part of their lives and to have a front-row seat to their graduation. That is the day that I see all that hard work pay off, and I get to shed many tears of joy!
God has set me apart in my gifts of empathy, perseverance, and the ability to navigate difficult spaces. My career is not about earning money; it is about serving God. The jobs that I have held are not just titles, they are critical divine assignments where I am needed the most.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
My Catholic faith has been central to what the world defines as success. I am a Jewish convert to the Catholic faith, and the Church has really helped me see that success is not in the title or the money but in the impact that we have in the lives of others. What’s critical to my “success” is the godly order in my life. This includes putting God first, then my husband and children, and then my career. Once I learned how to divinely order my life, peace came quickly afterward. Now I see success in a totally different way. Success is being there for my family above all else and following the call God placed in my heart when I was 16.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://melissapresser.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissapresser_/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-presser-esq-4544402a8/
- Other: https://www.fmu.edu/
