As a teenager, Melissa would eagerly anticipate the arrival of the newest issue of Seventeen Magazine before devouring it repeatedly cover-to-cover until the next one appeared in the mail. Today, Melissa still associates the smell, look and feel of a glossy book with happiness. Magazine writing, editing and/or production are in her future: A self-proclaimed francophile, Melissa aspires to one day make her home (and her living) in the City of Lights.

When she is in need of inspiration, Melissa heads downtown to the Eugene Saturday Market for a leisurely stroll through the colorful aisles of home-crafted wares, camera in hand. Melissa, an aspiring photojournalist, is never far from her collection of vintage cameras.