By Mehninehn Smith
Stephen Melby’s office is located in Lea Hall, where he holds a position as an instructor of Social Work.
This year is his first at Eastern New Mexico University. He chose ENMU because he’s always wanted to teach and because his fiancé also works at the university.
Melby’s office recently was remodeled, so he says it is “the best office of any job” he has ever had.
“It’s spacious and comfortable,” he says. “It is a very nice office.”
He has been spending a lot of time in his office while working on his Ph.D., so he got himself a coffee maker to make it even more comfortable.
One of Melby’s favorite hobbies is golf. That is evident by the presence of his golf clubs in his office.
He also is an avid sports fan—as a Minnesotan, he roots for the Vikings; as an 18-year resident of Albuquerque, he cheers on the University of New Mexico football and basketball teams.
Melby’s interest in sports led him to pursue a Ph.D. in performance psychology. He has master’s degrees in social work and sports psychology.
Melby calls social work the “human being business.”
He says that a person usually can find a solution for a chemistry or math problem, but people are different and harder to figure out. Social work is difficult, Melby says, because you have to have “the heart to always help someone out.”
Melby has advice for those students thinking about majoring in social work.
He advises students to pursue social work because they want to improve the “human value” that people can add to life, not because of any financial reward. Social work, he said, can bring a person a lot of joy from knowing that he or she is helping someone.
A strong desire to be helpful is what initially attracted Melby to social work. He said he was blessed with the ability to be a good listener, so people tend to confide in him.