Local Parole and Probation Officer Melanie McManus grew up in Green, OR. High school was coming to an end, and she wasn’t sure what she wanted to study. “UCC was the gateway to all of it. That’s where I discovered what I want to do.”

“My UCC teacher was super engaging and knowledgeable and interested me in criminal justice,” Melanie said. She remembers him showing a video for the Reserve Academy, which inspired her to join. “It helped expedite my associate degree by providing college credits, and I made a lot of career connections.”

Through the police reserve academy experience, Melanie was able to get an internship at the juvenile detention center in Roseburg. Melanie continued her education and graduated from Portland State University with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

In her last term of college, Melanie juggled schoolwork while supporting a family as she had her first child, and then started working full time as an on-call Juvenile specialist for Multnomah County. Melanie desired to be closer to family, so she moved back to Roseburg and became a Parole and Probation officer.

While parole is a challenging field, Melanie focuses on the rewarding aspects of her job. One of Melanie’s favorite things about her job that keeps her encouraged is receiving handwritten thank you cards from previous clients for helping change lives. “As a parole officer, you’re going to have rewarding moments like running into clients in the community and seeing their successful life transformation.”