10/05/2026
It’s time for another ELA Staff Shout-Out! This week, we’re excited to highlight two wonderful members of our team—Melissa and Jess! While they serve ELA in very different roles, both are always ready to support our children, families, and staff. We are so lucky to have them as part of our ELA team!
Melissa Santos is one of our Sixpence Home Visitors! Melissa is closing in on completing her first full year at ELA! She loves seeing the happy faces of our preschoolers when they receive their books on Tuesdays. Her favorite children’s book is If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, and one of her favorite things about ELA is how everyone works together as a team.
Outside of work, Melissa enjoys going to the gym, listening to music, spending time with friends and family, and enjoying outdoor activities. A few of her favorites include hot chocolate, strawberry lemonade, vanilla iced coffee, fruit, Snickers, and cookies! She also loves floral and vanilla scents, tulips, the color light blue, and eating at Texas Roadhouse. Melissa enjoys collecting Legos and shot glasses or magnets as keepsakes when she travels somewhere new.
This week we are also excited to recognize Jess, our ELA Secretary! Jess is in her third year at ELA and says her favorite thing about ELA is the amazing people she gets to work with. Jess is often one of the first faces families see and one of the voices they hear when they call ELA. She helps keep our busy days organized, answers countless questions, supports our staff and families, and is always willing to jump in wherever she is needed. We appreciate everything Jess does behind the scenes—and out front—to help keep ELA running smoothly each day!
Outside of ELA, Jess enjoys reading books, going for walks, and spending time with family and friends. She is a mother of three, Sophia, Alejandro, and Damian! When going out to eat, Jess enjoys eating at steakhouses. She likes to snack on popcorn, candy, crackers and ice cream. A few of Jess’s favorites include white chocolate mochas, Coke, lilies, and the color blue.
We are so glad to have Melissa and Jess as part of our ELA team and appreciate all they do for our children and families!
