LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Melissa Artz was nominated by a family member, Julie Warr.

Ms. Artz is a LifeChanger in several different areas in her community. She became a teacher of the deaf and learned sign language while in high school. She also began initiatives such as a recycling program that continue to this day at her high school.

Ms. Artz has encouraged many students to follow their dreams. She is a very compassionate individual who looks for the best, not only in her students, but in the teachers she works with. She is a person who seeks out resources and modifies them so students finds success in what they are learning. 

Ms. Artz gives over 100 percent of her time to each project or activity that is given to her. She participates in many school and community activities. She has taken people into her home who needed a place to stay when they did not have one, fed students who did not have food, and supplied clothing when needed. Ms. Artz definitely shows compassion for individuals in the community.

Ms. Artz has also been on both National and International mission trips, where she has worked with children from different countries. These experiences have helped her develop her compassion for children, both in and out of the country. 

Being in special education, Ms. Artz has to converse with parents on a regular basis. She forms a strong bond with each of her parents. This helps keep communication open, and parents appreciate this. She has not only worked with people who are deaf, but she also works with individuals who have behavioral problems, autism, and physical disabilities. 

She is in the process of working on her Doctorate program, so she is current and up to date in all educational issues. Ms. Artz is a member of Georgia Association of Educators (GAE), National Association (NEA) and formally of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) 

"I have seen Melissa show dedication to her students by checking on their grades and creating modified worksheets to help them, even after she had surgery and was home recovering. She loves her job and wants what is best for students," said Warr. "Melissa is definitely a LifeChanger, whether in the school environment, in the community, or on a mission trip. She will find resources to get what is needed to be done. If she can’t do it, she will locate someone who either has access or might know someone who does. She likes to expose her students to real life experiences so they can learn how to be productive citizens in their community. She works very hard, and she is a wonderful person and a great teacher."

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