Melissa (Radtke) Wheat Class of 2000 Role: English | Social Studies | Advisor Traverse City Christian School is, in a word, ‘family’, and in Melissa Wheat’s case that’s literally true. As a student, Melissa had many influencers, not the least of whom was her mother, Judy Radtke, who still teaches Algebra and Calculus at TC Christian. Judy was profiled in the Fall issue of The Messenger. “Mom always said this was the best job in town,” recalled Melissa. With such affirmation, along with the mentorship she received from her teachers at TC Christian, it’s little surprise Melissa chose to follow in her mother’s footsteps to teach at TCCS.
“God threw me into teaching...literally! I went to school to be an attorney and later worked for a Judge.” While finishing college and law school,. Melissa and her husband, Brent, started a family. After practicing law for seven years, a career change fell in Melissa’s lap. “One day, I was asked to fill in for the 8th grade English teacher at TC Christian who was on maternity leave, and then a week or two later, was asked to teach 7th and 8th grade social studies.” Before long, Melissa was a regular at her old school. “I learned how to teach and began to figure out lesson plans within a
month of school starting. The next year I taught 7th and 8th grade math and algebra along with the social studies classes.” In 2020, Melissa realized teaching was a career she really wanted to develop, so she took the leap and earned her Masters in Secondary Education. TC Christian today is different from Melissa’s first years at the school. The dress code has been modified, meaning no more compulsory dresses on Chapel days. Classes are fuller and the school is bigger. “Back then, TCCS only accommodated Junior and Senior High. The Elementary school came later.” For Melissa, coming to a Christian school as a student was a breath of fresh air from her experiences elsewhere. “Our Principal was an amazing man with a big heart who followed God in everything,” she said. “Our
Melissa (in yellow) on her Senior Mission Trip to Jamaica, with classmates (from left) Mike Bush, Christina Harvey, Kristin Waligorski, and Judy Radtke (Teacher) 10 | The Messenger
