Melissa Cochran has spent the past fifteen years working in education as a teacher, researcher, and teacher educator. After graduating from the University of Notre Dame in 2002, she moved to San Diego to pursue a career in teaching and earned a Masters of Arts in Teaching at USD. She joined the High Tech High community in January 2003 after learning about the organization’s innovative approach to teaching and learning. 

After spending nearly three years in the classroom, she was inspired to learn more about education reform and moved to Washington DC to earn her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Maryland. While in the DC area, Melissa worked as a teacher educator and education researcher, but she missed working directly with students. She returned to High Tech High in 2010 and has spent the past 5 years teaching at the high school.  Additionally, she has worked as adjunct faculty at USD and as an external reader for admissions at UCSD. When not at work, Melissa enjoys spending her time with her husband and their two amazing children.