Melissa Lafayette is a doctoral student in Counselor Education and Supervision at The Ohio State University, where she serves as a Graduate Teaching Associate and School Counseling Supervisor, supporting school counseling students through practicum and internship field experiences. Most recently, she served as Vice President of Partner Development at Hatching Results, leading national partnerships and strategic initiatives focused on comprehensive, data-driven school counseling programs. Melissa previously served as a district-level Lead School Counselor in a TK-8 district in Riverside County, California, and worked as a school counselor in both Riverside and San Diego counties. A former adjunct faculty member at San Diego State University, her work and research center on hope, belonging, equity-centered school counseling, and disrupting inequitable disciplinary practices impacting Black girls.