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Tara Melaccio
EXS 191

Career Perspective 1
School Health Visitation Interview
(High School Level)
Name:
Nicole Lacroix
Email:
nlacroix@northbranfordschools.org
Title:
Health Educator/ Health Teacher,
Teacher of the Year 2011-2012
Work Place:
North Branford High School
49 Caputo Rd
North Branford, CT 06471
Main 203.484.1465
Fax 203.484.1233
Previous Work Place:
Plan Parenthood
Education:
BS Public Health and Health Promotion, MS Health Education both from Southern
Connecticut Sate University
Specific Courses/ Certifications:
MS Health Education, CPR, and CSC HIV
Job Responsibilities:
Teaching and following the rules designed by the school and health department, Club
Adviser for GSA (Gay Straight Alliance), Senior Study Hall Adviser, and Hall-way Adviser
Satisfying Aspects:
When asking her this question she did not hesitate when saying she loved working with
the high school level students and having the ability to go deeper into conversations about certain
subjects then what she had done in the past when working with the younger students. She said it
is also great when you see students doing well grasping the material and applying it to life
situations. Another aspect she said she enjoyed was coming up with fun ways the students can
learn and how she can be creative thinking of ways to teach the students and giving them
enjoyable projects that they will want to do. There were a few downfalls to teaching she said that

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students that misbehave constantly cause her frustrations and this can get hard to deal with
especially at the high school level. One of the things she liked least was all the tests and papers
she has to give her students for school so that they can see how the students are doing, she said
that the mandatory testing and data gathering has increased significantly over the years, and it is
her least favorite part of teaching because the students dislike it as well, and she wants to keep
them interested.
Job Potential:
When talking with Mrs. Lacroix she said that I would have no problem finding a job she
said it is a great career and you would not have to travel far to get a job in her field she said the
earnings are comfortable and they are paid salary.
Suggestions:
When talking about suggestions she had to think a little so I explained to her how I have
been on the fence about what I want out of my degree and talking to Mrs. Lacroix helped me
understand that its okay not to know because sooner or later it will come to you as what did to
her. She told me she was attending Central Connecticut Sate University to become an English
teacher and realized junior year that was not what she wanted, and felt completely lost. When she
decided teaching health was the path she wanted to go was when a traumatic experience in her
life happened this was when her aunt died from cancer, she told me from that point on she
wanted to try to help everyone stay healthy and never become sick, she said she wanted to help
everyone learn about what she thinks is the most important subject, our health, and I agree. She
then went on to Southern Connecticut Sate University to finish her undergraduate in public
health and heath promotion and then also get her masters in health education from Southern as
well. She said that teaching is a great career if I wanted to go that route she said that she never
complains about work and always wants to come in and do her job which is enriching the
students with information that will help them live healthy lives.

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Tara Melaccio
EXS 191

Career Perspective 3
Recreation and Leisure Interview
Name:
Pamela Gery

Email:
recreationdirector@townofnorthbranfordct.com

Title:
Director of Parks, Recreation and Senior Services

Work Place:
STW Community Center, Northford CT

Previous Work Place:

Town of Westbrook as the Parks & Recreation Director from 1996-2000.

Education:
Marketing Major at Central CT. State University

Specific Courses/ Certifications:

Business, marketing,

Job Responsibilities:
Being fiscally responsible and managing 4 budgets ($550,000 Town budget, $150,000
festival budget, program revenue budget and a Senior program revenue budget), manage full
time and part time staff, facility management, providing diverse programs and events to a wide
range of age groups in town, organize and schedule room use in facility, maintain & repair park
and playground equipment, manage Park & Pavilion rentals and permits, manage facility rental
applications,
Satisfying Aspects:
Seeing the satisfaction of residents and families enjoying our programs and
parks. Improving and implementing new things in town (ex: creating a festival that now is an
large attraction that everyone looks forward to each year, creating the towns first ever
Community Center, implementing a unique fitness room that sells affordable membership fees to
town residents and helps offset expenses in our facility, coming up with new and exciting ideas
every year.
Job Potential:
There are job openings in the Parks & Recreation field but typically you may have to
climb the ladder from a Recreation Programmer, supervisor, assistant and then
Director. Opportunities are always available and it is a good stable job with a overwhelming
amount of good people. This a job with a budget to make sure that peoples lives are being
enriched providing opportunity for fun through exercise, arts, camps and education classes.
Suggestions regarding this area of work/ major path:
She highly recommended this line of work. She has always been a very hard worker and
recreation was always a part of her life whether it was sports, crafts, camping, hiking or any
other type of activity. This job allows for her to always be creative and do what she can to
enrich peoples lives. She said if I follow this line of work I must be self driven, highly organized
and able to work with a tremendous amount of people from participants, parents, town council
members, town managers, sponsors, business owners...etc. It can be stressful at times with
deadlines, opposing personalities and town politics.

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Tara Melaccio
EXS 191

Career Perspective 2
Personal Trainer Interview
Name:
Mark Melaccio
Email:
mmelaccio@ctbodybalance.com
Phone:
(203)-889-8483
Title:
Certified Personal Trainer/ Physical
Education Teacher
Work Place:
Body Balance Personalized Coaching
LLC
1205 Boston Post Rd Guilford, Connecticut 06437-2474 United States
Website:
http://ctbodybalance.com/index.htm
Previous Work Place:
Physical Education Teacher, North Branford High School, North Branford CT
Football Coach, North Branford High School, North Branford CT
Physical Therapist Assistant, Mission Bay Hospital Rehabilitation Services Department
in San Diego, California
Education:
BS in Physical Education from Southern Connecticut Sate University
Specific Courses/ Certifications:
Certified Personal Trainer, CPR
Job Responsibilities:
Making the clients feel comfortable and safe, Helping clients successfully achieve their
goals, Properly performing activities, Being aware of clients disabilities or ailments
Satisfying Aspects:
Mark Melaccio said that this job is difficult sometimes but he loves it and couldnt see
himself doing anything else. He said he loves learning about the body every day he said he is

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always learning new things and continues to read books about the body so that he can train his
clients with optimum knowledge. He loves teaching his clients about their bodies and overall
health. He said when a client comes in and they are happy to get a workout done and try their
hardest it is awesome, he said it makes him happy to see they are taking it day by day. He said
sometime people expect immediate results with strength or weight loss and he has to tell them it
takes time and discipline even when they are not in the gym with him, but when the goal is met
by a client and you see how happy they are, he says it is a great feeling to have helped someone
make a fantastic change in there life.
Job Potential:
When talking with Mark Melaccio he said that there is an increasing demand for personal
trainers and I would have no problem finding a job. He said that the United States is becoming
more health conscious and people need to be guided. He said it is a very satisfying job, with
pretty flexible hours depending where you work. He also said that you could make a good
amount of money.
Suggestions:
He told me that Southern Connecticut Sate University has a great exercise science
program, he said try your best in all subjects and you will eventually find your path and the
career path you will choose. He told me that after working a few years as a physical education
teacher he went back to school to become a physical therapist but he never finished because the
went to California where he worked as a personal trainer with patients after and during physical
therapy. He found that personal training is what he wanted to do for his career and moved back
to Connecticut where he opened his own gym, Body Balance. He told me that, one day I will
find myself doing what I love even if it was not what my original plan was. He then reassured me
I was on the right track and not to stress too much.