CARMICHAEL, CA (MPG) - For Sean Melby, teaching theater at Mesa Verde High School isn’t just a job; it’s a full-circle moment.

A 2010 graduate of Mesa Verde, Melby credits the school’s theater program for changing his life. Now, as the Career Technical Education (CTE) theater pathway instructor, he is paying it forward by inspiring the next generation of performers and creatives.

“The previous theater teacher (Deni Scofield) kind of changed the trajectory of my life in a huge way. And so, when I became a teacher, a lot of it was because of the work that she put into me and the confidence I gained in Mesa Verde’s theater program.”

When Scofield announced her retirement, she reached out to Melby asking if he wanted to take over the program.

“It is an absolute blessing to have this job. It’s like my dream job,” he said. “And every day, I get to come in here and be creative and teach kids to take their creativity and make it into art.”

Melby brings boundless energy and creativity to his students, ensuring that every day in his classroom is exciting and unpredictable.

“I get to show up to work and say, ‘Today we’re writing monologues about famous dead serial killers and tomorrow we’re going to be designing sound for a scene that could be a zombie apocalypse, or it could be a bunch of clowns attacking a college. It’s your call,’” he said. “I get the opportunity to just be creative myself and see that creativity reflected in students.”

For students like senior Valery Nieto Correa, Melby’s presence has been transformative.

“We weren’t expecting someone as lively,” she said. “And he came in and just, the room lit up. It was honestly magical to see how he came in, and you would see a group of people that didn’t want to participate, and you would see them go up there, comfortable and ready to go.”

Melby strives to make his classroom a welcoming space where every student feels valued.

“Something that really shocked me since taking on this job at this school is I’ve had students who take beginning drama, and they recognize it’s not for them,” he said. “But the number of times that a student has come up to me and given me a letter or just said to my face, ‘Mr. Melby, because of you and because of this class, I have started talking to people. I have stopped hiding on my phone during my other classes. I have actually made friends; it makes it all feel so much worth it.”

Senior Adam Neely, who transferred to Mesa Verde in his junior year, said the theater program helped him regain his passion for performing.

“When I transferred here, I found the program and Mr. Melby, and he really welcomed me with open arms,” he said. “And it really my enjoyment of theater, and I discovered it’s really something I want to do for the rest of my life.”

While not every student will pursue a career in theater, Melby believes the skills they develop are invaluable.

“A lot of students say, ‘Theater, why? I don’t want to be a professional actor,’” he said. “I always think it’s so important to remind kids that theater is not something that has to make you money. It can be your hobby. It can be your art form. It can be your form of expression. And that is still so cool.”

Through his leadership, the Mesa Verde theater program continues to grow, giving students a creative outlet and a sense of belonging, just as it did for Melby more than a decade ago.