Melissa Pierre is a graduate student who is expected to receive her M.S in Criminal Justice with a concentration in Forensic Psychology in May of 2018 and has been serving as a graduate intern here at Tow Youth Justice Institute for three semesters. She is also a part of the nationally known Criminal Justice Honor Society, Alpha Tau. Melissa has been working on multiple research projects and is also part of the social media team for the Development and Communications content of TYJI. In the future, she plans to receive her Ph.D. in hopes that she will be able to advocate, advise, and counsel children and families. Juvenile justice is important to her, and she enjoys learning about the mental health aspect of criminal behavior and plans to integrate at-risk youth back into their communities with adequate treatment.