I called Melissa in a well justified panic: My French was good enough — barely — to ask a waiter where to find the bathroom in Paris, but that was it. And I had to take a doctoral-level reading comprehension test in French in less than six weeks. She got me from zero to 60 — that is, from barely a word of French to a passing grade — with good cheer, expert advice and, just as important, constant encouragement that actually made the process fun. Part tutor, part therapist, part cheerleader — Melissa Kerley does it all, and I couldn’t possibly recommend her more enthusiastically.