EASTSIDE LIVING
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Meet Melissa Scharfe INSPIRING FUTURE GENERATIONS OF MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS
PHOTO BY SHASTIN FLETCHER
RESIDENT FEATURE
BY JULIE LEAH PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHASTIN FLETCHER AND MELISSA SCHARFE W hile many of us cringe at the sight of blood or recoil from gory scenes on TV, Melissa Scharfe has a profound fascination with the inner workings of the human body. She remains undaunted by the complexities of human anatomy and the chaos of medical emergencies. Melissa belongs to an esteemed group of educators who are dedicated to shaping the future of medicine by teaching the next generation of doctors and nurses, with her specialization lying in human anatomy. Melissa’s journey into the world of medical education wasn’t without its challenges. When she first started her Meet Melissa Scharfe INSPIRING FUTURE GENERATIONS OF MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS
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studies in the sciences, her anatomy pro- fessor terrified her. She candidly admits, “If not for that teacher, I would never have discovered the beauty and joy in something so often considered taboo in society. Teaching people how to handle life and death is incredible, especially when they become as passionate about it as I am. It can be terrifying and heart- wrenching at times, but those nurses and doctors have to live with those mo- ments. My goal is to make them resilient enough to cope with these realities.” Melissa holds multiple degrees, including a B.S in Neuroscience, and currently serves as an educator at Concordia University, where she man- ages the Nursing Labs. Before this role, she dedicated her time to supporting
Cadaver labs in Southern California healthcare programs. For several years, she volunteered her weekends at a medi- cal clinic in El Hongo, Mexico, where she taught triage to undergraduate and medical students. Last winter, she at- tended an anatomy conference in Italy as part of a broader medical event that ex- plored the history of healthcare and the original works of medicine. In her own words, the experience “brought tears of excitement and joy” and rejuvenated her passion for revealing the beauty within the field of medicine. Melissa’s journey into the sciences began during her high school years at Newport Harbor High School in South- ern California. She remembers working closely with Ms. Bailey while participat-
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ing in the DaVinci program. Her dedi- cation led to obtaining an EMT license after spending countless hours working at Hoag Hospital as a Clinical Care Extender (now known as Health Schol- ars). Reflecting on her journey, Melissa fondly recalls, “I fell in love with the Gamma Knife and Dr. Duma’s bedside manner, which inspired me to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience from UC Riverside in 2011.” Subse- quently, she earned a Master of Public Health from West Coast University in 2019 and is currently in the final stages of completing her Master of Science in Medical Sciences from Southern Cali- fornia University of Health Sciences, set to graduate in December 2023. When asked about her greatest inspi- ration in education, Melissa shares, “I have the privilege of witnessing young adults grow into healthcare profession- als who step into hospitals to help those in dire need. I, too, aspire to continue my career in healthcare, and despite approaching forty, I am pursuing medi- cal school with a focus on emergency surgery.”
Melissa’s dedication and hard work in the medical field are deserving of recognition and honor. She humorously refers to herself as a “trophy,” a term she embraced after a boyfriend used it to describe her in a personal moment. She emphasizes, “I
know my future partner may be out there, but in the meantime, I’m living my best life, traveling, and achieving every goal I set. I can be my own trophy.” Beyond her professional life, Melissa is the proud parent of a tortoise named Diamond Al Scharfe. Her father gifted her this desert tortoise when she was just five years old, and Diamond, now thirty-five years old, typically hiber - nates for six months each year, emerging at Easter time. Melissa’s chosen fam- ily of friends including her Yaya’s have given the tortoise the playful nickname “the stripper tortoise” after witness - ing Diamond’s nocturnal antics, which include sleepwalking and climbing on a pole.
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her own age. It was at Ensign that she discov- ered her love for sports, sampled various cuisines, and deepened her passion for the sciences. She remi- nisces, “If you attended Ensign, you’ll remember the sugared Ice’s from the ‘90s and lunchtimes on blacktops so scorching they could burn your shoes or your behinds.” In 2011, Melissa faced a dif- ficult moment when her father passed away, and the family bid farewell to their home on Santa Ana Avenue. In 2013, she began renting the mother-in-law bungalow on the exact property
MELISSA’S FAVORITES Restaurants •Garduno’s Risorante Italiano •Los Primos •Habana •Din Tai Fung Salsa Teachers Melissa highly recommends, Esteban Condo at Sevilla’s and Mike Zunga in Santa Ana. Local Activities •Sunset at Cliff Drive Park •Kayaking at the Newport Beach Aquatic Center and also helping the blind team. •Wine tasting at Hi-Time Wine Cellars
Melissa’s roots in Costa Mesa run deep, as her parents moved to Eastside in 1987. She fondly remembers her mother’s devotion to the Saint Joaquim Catholic Church on Orange Avenue, a tradition she continues to uphold by attending Mass. Melissa cherishes the memo- ries of walking to school in her uniform, pass- ing by nearby orange and avocado fields, and credits the people of Costa Mesa for influenc - ing her into becoming the strong woman she is today. “I have the privilege of witnessing young adults grow into healthcare professionals who step into hospitals to help those in dire need. I, too, aspire to continue my career in healthcare...” A cherished memory from her youth is the opening of the 55 Freeway entrance, where her girl scout troop had the honor of perform- ing the Pledge of Allegiance, alongside her mother, who was the troop leader. In junior high, Melissa transferred to Ensign from St. Joachim elementary, where she was pleasantly surprised by the number of children
of her childhood home. She now enjoys the sunsets of her youth, the refreshing ocean breezes, and a backyard that provides a home for her beloved tortoise, Diamond. Beyond her academic and professional pursuits, Melissa’s interests include salsa danc- ing. For a decade, she immersed herself in the world of Salsa and Bachata, a Dominican dance form. The dance studios became her second family, and she expresses, “Dancing is a safe place to express yourself. These danc- ers simply love to dance and share their passion with others, not unlike how I feel about teaching anatomy.” Melissa is deeply grateful to the commu- nity that supported her as a young student, enabling her to find a job and focus on her education. While her journey hasn’t been easy, she believes it has been possible thanks to the community’s backing. Her hope is to complete her doctorate and remain an inte- gral part of Eastside, alongside her cherished companion, Diamond Al Scharfe tortoise.
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