Melinda Hightower is a native of Detroit, Michigan, and attended Cornell University, where she received her Bachelor of Science in Industrial and Labor Relations in 2000. At Cornell, she was a Mening Family National Scholar and a member of the Debate Team. In 2000, she was selected to be a member of the Cross-Examination Debate Association's National Debate Team and represented the United States at competitions throughout Europe. Upon graduation, Ms. Hightower worked with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, in New York, NY. She was an associate in the human resources consulting group and undertook graduate coursework in Statistics at Columbia University. In 2001, Ms. Hightower became a compensation and benefits professional at World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), a sports entertainment company based in Stamford, Connecticut. While at WWE, she volunteered with the New York Urban Debate League, a nonprofit organization that uses debate training and curricula to mentor and develop informed, concerned citizens. From 2004 to 2009, Ms. Hightower managed the compensation and benefits function of Morningstar, Inc., a leading provider of independent investment research headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. During this time, she volunteered with Scholarship Chicago, an education pipeline program which aims to create opportunities for economically disadvantaged, college-bound students. She also attended University of Chicago Booth School of Business and received her Master of Business Administration with concentrations in Accounting and Finance in 2007. Ms. Hightower is currently a third-year student at University of Virginia School of Law. There, she served as President of the Black Law Students Association, editorial board member of the Virginia Tax Review, and a Dillard Fellow. She is also a proud member of the Charlottesville Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. As a first-year law student, Ms. Hightower competed in NBLSA's International Negotiations Competition and received National First Runner-up honors. This summer, she is a summer associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. Previously, she was a summer associate at Littler Mendelson, P.C. She intends to pursue a career in tax law upon graduation. Ms. Hightower currently serves as the National Chair of NBLSA, a 501(c)(3) organization that is comprised of over 200 chapters and more than 6,000 members. She is responsible for all aspects of the organization. Ms. Hightower may be contacted at chair@nblsa.org.