Over the past four years, Melissa Browne has become an integral part of the Concord Academy community. From playing a huge role in the admissions office and tour guide program to serving as the assistant coach of the girls' varsity lacrosse team, Browne occupies many important roles in our community.
Browne grew up in Pomfret, a small rural town in Connecticut. However, her dad grew up in Concord, and both her aunt and grandmother attended CA, so she has always known the town well. After graduating from Franklin & Marshall College in 2021, Browne worked at a junior boarding school and later tutored and worked at an environmental education center in Vermont. Browne soon realized that she wanted a strong sense of community in her place of work, and her experience as a tour guide since fourth grade led her to want a position in admissions. Browne explained, “I found CA, and it was the perfect balance of everything I wanted.”
When asked if she had always known she wanted to work in a school, Browne explained that, having grown up as a faculty kid in Pomfret, everyone expected her to work in a school environment. She described herself as not being much of a corporate or work-from-home person, as she always wanted a community-facing job. She added, “I really love CA and my job here because it feels like I have a purpose.” Browne also loves how her role allows her to help transform the lives of young people during the application process.
A fun fact about Browne is that she grew up co-raising seeing-eye dogs with her parents, and continues to do so today. In her free time, she enjoys staying busy and active and spending time with her friends and family. Browne also loves running, sailing, hiking, skiing, and playing sports, especially on her adult hockey team. This year, from an admissions standpoint, she is most excited about the new C.A.C. building. She explained, “It just has great opportunities to be able to showcase our wonderful programs.”
As an extroverted person, Browne loves the energy on campus. Her favorite parts of CA are running the tour guide program, coaching lacrosse, and the people and students she gets to know. She also loves how eager the students are to give back to the CA community overall. CA is lucky to have her!