Youth Venture recently caught up with Melina to talk about college, course loads and taking her Venture, Spread the Dough, to the City of Brotherly Love.
YV: Mel, when we last spoke, you were packed and ready for freshman year at Bryn Mawr College. Take us through a typical day.
Melina:Typically, I wake up at 7:30 to catch the bus that runs to Haverford College for my 8:30 Arabic class. After Arabic I run back here to finish the rest of my classes then run down to lacrosse practice. I finally start my homework around 9:00 and don't finish until about midnight.
YV: I heard your favorite class is Arabic, fact or fiction?
Melina: Arabic is easily the most demanding and straight up difficult class I've ever taken. The course meets everyday, sometimes at 8:30 in the morning and sometimes at 8:00 at night. Aside from the huge time commitment, the language itself is very difficult to learn. However, it actually is my favorite class. The more I learn, the easier everything becomes and ultimately, the more enjoyable the language is. I find motivation in the opportunities that will present themselves once I master the language.
YV: Part of being a student-athlete is juggling multiple responsibilities, has running your Venture helped prepare you for college?
Melina: Spread the Dough has definitely helped me juggle all of my responsibilities. Because of Spread the Dough I have mastered time management through setting aside specific times in my week to work solely on the Venture. I have found that the way I manage Spread the Dough is a great way to manage my lacrosse, academic, and of course social life as well.
YV: Bryn Mawr is basically part of Philadelphia, are you feeling the Brotherly Love?
Melina: Despite going to an all women's college, I am TOTALLY feeling the Brotherly Love. In fact, my own brother is trying to come and visit me for the weekend because he has friends in the Philly area and like I said, I go to an all women's college so he’s got to see what this is all about. He actually seems quite relieved about it because as he says that gives him "one less thing to worry about". You know how big brothers can be.
YV: Are you taking Spread the Dough to college? What do you have cooking in the community and on-campus?
Melina: We actually just opened a chapter at Bryn Mawr! We pick up the bread every Saturday at a local bakery and run it over to the local church! A few of my friends and I wake up at 7:15 in the morning (you have to take one for the team) and walk into town to this adorable little bakery called The Bakery House. They have the best cupcakes and muffins, so I motivate the girls with the prospect of a chocolate cupcake at 8:00 in the morning (these cupcakes are delicious enough to lift the masses). It's actually a lot of fun and good exercise! I am planning on bringing Spread the Dough to Haverford College next...I hope to get some students into Philly bakeries. In fact, we have just sent in the last of the forms to become a 501(c)(3)! The project is really taking off and I couldn't be happier!
YV: Mel, thanks for your time… Good Luck this semester and Happy Halloween.
Melina: The pleasure is all mine! I'll be sure to keep you updated on my Venture! Have an awesome Halloween and try not to eat too much candy guys!
Spread the Dough is a Youth Venture funded project and a registered corporation in NH. Spread the Dough picks up the day-old breads from bakeries in NH, CT, VT, VA and MA and delivers them to surrounding homeless shelters, soup kitchens, welfare offices and people in need. To date over 30,000 baked goods and $180,000 worth of food has been saved. Spread the Dough hopes to one day have a chapter in every state. If you would like to start a Spread the Dough chapter in your community, visit spreadthedough.com.
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