During her time at Moreton Bay College, Sr Melissa Dwyer was better known for her sporting ability than for the humanitarian work that would later define her career. From childhood, she dreamed of representing Australia as an Olympic javelin thrower. However, a volunteer mission experience in Africa at the age of 19 became a turning point, inspiring her to pursue a life of service and make a lasting difference in the lives of others.
Sr Melissa made her Religious Profession as a Canossian Daughter of Charity in 2005 and holds a degree in Secondary Education, majoring in English and Physical Education. Following her first profession, she taught in Australia for three years before being sent to Malawi, East Africa, where she spent seven years as Principal of a secondary boarding school for 600 girls.
She returned to Brisbane in 2016 to take up the role of Assistant Leader for her congregation in Australia and was appointed Australian Leader in May 2019. In 2021, she was awarded an honorary doctorate by Australian Catholic University in recognition of her contribution to the education of girls in Africa.
In August 2022, Sr Melissa was elected to the General Council of the Canossian Daughters of Charity and moved to Rome, Italy, in November 2022, where she currently resides. Her role now takes her around the world, supporting the life and mission of the Sisters as they serve communities experiencing poverty in more than 30 countries.
