After decades in Houston, the couple moved to Tulsa in 2023 to be closer to family. For the past two years, Matthew has been a reading interventionist and Michele an educational aide at a local middle school, helping students overcome challenges. However, homeownership, a challenge of their own, always felt out of reach.

“We had gotten to the point where we were like, I guess we’re just renting until we’re dead,” they shared.

Melissa has spent her career shaping young minds. As a teacher—and as a mother of two grown sons, she knows what it means to show up with patience, resilience, and heart. Homeownership, however, always felt just out of reach. That changed when Education Begins with Home, a partnership between Tulsa Public Schools and Habitat for Humanity, opened a door she hadn’t realized was possible.