Merel says what she finds gratifying about being on the board is “being able to assist Melody Patton as she makes a profound impact on today’s children through a Montessori education.” Her youngest child was one of the school’s first students. “I felt fortunate to be part of such a beautiful process, watching as School in the Woods began with a few families, and grew each year to add more students, families, and buildings,” she says. Merel holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was a Division I athlete. She is now a nationally-certified massage therapist and practitioner of structural integration and continues to be involved in the sport science and bodywork field for both herself and her children, who are student-athletes. A native of the Netherlands, Merel lives in Cherry Hills Village with her husband, three children, and two dogs.