Playing sports and getting an education were a ticket out of the inner city and into a better life for Melissa Farquharson. The dire situation facing girls living in the inner cities of Kingston, Jamaica, troubles Melissa, and she has committed her life to using sports and education as a way to inspire change. “Girls in my community often grow up with abusive mothers and absent fathers,” she says. “As a result, they suffer from low self-esteem and a lack of self-respect. Many are also suffering from extreme poverty and an overall sense of feeling beaten down everywhere they turn in life. I believe sports and education are the best ways to prevent another hopeless generation of women.”

In 2014, Melissa was accepted to the University of Tennessee, where she received a Master of Science in Sports Management. While in the program, she received the Patsy Crockett Boroviak Award From the Department of Kinesiology, Recreation, and Sports Studies for her excellence in teaching and ability to motivate students to achieve their potential. During her time at the university, Melissa also served as a manager for Tennessee Volleyball and as a student mentor at the Thornton Athletics Student Life Center.