Melanie Werner is a first-year MA student and teaching assistant in the Literature, Language, and Textual Criticism program at the University of Tennessee. Originally from Batesville, Indiana, she attended Purdue University and graduated in 2023 with both a Bachelor of Arts in English and Creative Writing and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. After graduation, Melanie worked as a legislative editor for the Indiana General Assembly and as a legal assistant for the City of South Bend. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, baking, and playing with her cat Sunny.