I grew up in the Valley Forge area, loving the history and beauty of PA nature. I graduated from Penn State University in 2014 with a B.S. in Childhood and Early Adolescent Education and minor in Special Education. Before 7Gen, I worked for Riverbend Environmental Education Center teaching environmental education for their summer camp and school programs. I have been working at 7Gen since 2016, in first grade for a few years, and now in third grade! I will finish my Masters in Autism Studies and STEM education from Arcadia University at the end of 2022.

I have wanted to be a teacher since I was in 1st grade. I was inspired by my teacher’s dedication to her students. Growing up, I loved helping others and learning about all subjects in school, so I became a teacher to help my students love learning as much as I do! Seven Gen is the perfect school for me because not only do I love learning, but I also love being outside in nature. Seven Gen allows me, as a teacher, to have fun and be creative, and I enjoy seeing my students learn to care about the natural world around them. 

My favorite hobby is reading! My husband and I love collecting books, and we have bookshelves and bookshelves of books in our house for them all! Harry Potter is one of my favorite series and my classroom has many Harry Potter elements! I love being outside, especially taking insect photographs, kayaking, gardening, and camping. In my free time, I also enjoy painting, cooking, and spending time with my husband and our pets, Toby the black cat and Luna the leopard gecko.

Contact Mrs. Walton at melissa.walton@sevengen.org.