Born and raised Chicago native, Melissa Simmons took some time away from the city to study sociology at Eastern Illinois University. After interning with the Department of Justice as a conciliation specialist, she now resides in the Logan Square neighborhood where she enjoys the local cuisine as a self-proclaimed foodie. In her free time, she enjoys taking her Shih Tzu for long walks discovering the neighborhood and frequenting small businesses and boutiques. Her interests include wine tasting, psychological thrillers, documentaries, Halloween, astrology, pop music, gourmet tea and nail art. She has recently started to incorporate yoga into her lifestyle and lives by the saying "que sera sera," which translates to "whatever will be will be."