59 www. ReadMPM. com | www.MountPl easantMagaz i ne. com | www.MountPl easantPodcas t . com as one body. Without that, the accomplishments would have never been sought out and that impressive resumé never built. When Melvin was growing up, it wasn’t necessarily the norm for girls to be encouraged into fields like infrastructure, logistics or trade policy. However, Melvin indicated that this was never an issue for her. “I’ve never been told that I’m not qualified to do something I wanted to do. I was never discouraged,” she said. The simple answer is that Melvin was always qualified— because she was the first one to refuse to question it. She never believed she wasn’t qualified, and the fruit that fell from her tree spoke to that. She didn’t hear scoffs in the background, if there were any. She didn’t feel threatened or competitive. She also credits her success to listening to people more than talking. That’s probably what allowed her to collect the information she needed to establish plans that made sense for large groups or organizations. She just continued to work toward goals that benefitted the greater good no matter her position. She never saw a need to edge anyone out, but to make room for more and to make room for progress. “When a pond is full, I would just rather build a bigger pond. Our job is to leave the door open behind us,” she relayed. That’s exactly what was done for Melvin, and what she intends to do for whomever comes after her. Before 2018, feature Grammys AtticDesign.com @grammysatticdesign • 843.352.2949 1184-G Clements Ferry Rd. Charleston ANTIQUES •VINTAGE & NEW FURNISHINGS •HOME DECOR BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. Christina Hardy 843-736-8807 Christina.Hardy@bcbssc.com Get personalized health coverage for all of life’s stages. SHOP LOCAL FOR YOUR HEALTH INSURANCE. CALL ME TODAY!
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