The Social Life

Name: Melissa Grelo

• Born June 30, 1977; raised in Caledon, Ont.
• Grew up on her family’s horse farm with her younger sister, Rosanna; was a riding coach by the age of 12, which fuelled her desire to teach
• Attended the French Immersion program at Holy Family ES in Bolton, Ont.; went to Notre Dame SS and Robert F. Hall Catholic SS in Brampton, Ont.; completed her OAC at the new Robert F. Hall’s building in Caledon
• Majored in psychology and minored in French at York University; received her Bachelor of Education in 2002
• Taught Grades 7 and 8 for two years at The Montessori Country School in Nobleton, Ont.
• Was accepted into the OISE/UT master’s program in 2003; she planned to study gender equity but began to question whether a career in education was meant for her
• The long-time news junkie decided to pursue journalism at Seneca College in 2004
• Her first media gig was in 2006 as the CTV weather specialist in Barrie, Ont.
• Co-hosted CTV’s Olympic Morning program during the 2010 Winter Games
• CP24 news anchor; co-hosts The Social as well as CP24 Breakfast
• Follow @melissagrelo on Twitter

Describe your school-aged self.

Annoyingly energized. Engaged.

In elementary school?

Attentive, a good listener, a leader.

And in high school?

Assertive, engaged, a leader.

What was your favourite subject?

Everything — especially mathematics. I was captain of the math league and had a 99 per cent average.

And the most challenging one?

Visual arts. It’s just not my thing.

Any inspiring books from that time?

Gloria Steinem’s Revolution from Within and Naomi Wolf’s The Beauty Myth. They both challenged my perception of who I was and how others perceived me. They made me think seriously about how I wanted to contribute in life.

What were your top three favourite things to do during recess?

Playing tag, handball and skipping.

Your most memorable school lunch?

A Cheez Whiz sandwich.

Extracurricular activities of choice?

Volleyball and math league.

Who are your heroes?

Gloria Steinem and Sheryl Sandberg [author of Lean In].

Do you recall who your most influential teacher was and why?

Michael Horton [OCT] my high school English teacher. I credit my inquisitive nature to him. He was unconventional. He provided more of a university-style lecture and encouraged us to always ask questions, which also meant questioning the establishment.

If you could create any new course of your choice, what would it be?

Real-world skills for young women. For example, how to negotiate in business.

What was your dream career?

When I was really young, I wanted to be a veterinarian because I grew up on a farm. In high school, I wanted to be a teacher.

What teaching skills have you carried over into your work as a journalist?

Both require a love of information and the ability to convey it to an audience in an accurate and compelling way.

What do you miss about teaching?

The students, though, I’m still in touch with many of them. I miss interacting with them every day and finding out what’s cool! It’s fair to say that I learned more from them than they did from me.

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