Melissa Pesanti Wanamaker

Yes

Started college at U of M, Missoula, finished at University Alaska Anchorage with BBA in Marketing, International Option. Married and quickly divorced. Found love of my life. Spent several years working above the Arctic Circle for Arco, Phillips, ConocoPhillips. Worked as Development Director for Red Cross for a couple years. Married love of life and created two beautiful daughters. More time with ConocoPhillips in Philanthropy and Community Services. Had a great time. Raised over a million for United Way twice from my company alone (even lost my hair in a bet!) and created some cool signature programs that live beyond my involvement in them. Stepped off rat race for a bit to enjoy raising the girls and teach dance for awhile. Currently active performer, instructor, choreographer, mom, wife...that's the highlights!

When I think of high school my highlights have to do with Purple B's and my buddies there and Jane and Becky and their constant inspiration, hard work and the eclectic dance forms they introduced me to that still touch my performance voice today, my ALP and Band buddies from East and our coming of age together - I really love you guys!, my wonderful Hamilton, "love bites" at a house on California Street, Jill and her Mustang, wild and free Toasha, Raelynn's fun fashion sense, MTI program, honor's physics (even though I was bad at it!), sexy savages, escaping a D in honors Trig only because of extra credit earned because Kansas ended up in the final 4 (would have been my only D), listening to my friend John play the trumpet so beautifully it brought tears to my eyes, the pain of losing Chris so insensibly even after our paths had grown so far apart, watching Curt Olds shine in "Mame", Dixie Harrington, the surprise of becoming Butte's Jr. Missie (and the insane stressful fun of other dance competitions :-)!), turning off the "M" or turning it green, FLBC Camp and sailing hiking and whitewater rafting in the Flathead Valley, visits to Grandpa Sonny's in Whitefish, my brave (and foolish!) cliff diving experience at Canyon Ferry with PR, Timmy and Stacy, naming (or never naming) the deer, the small series of lovely men that I dated who taught me what I wanted out of love...I don't regret any of you.