Melisa Hunt first became a mother at the age of 16. In the 30-plus years since then, her career in childcare has resulted in her holding and caring for thousands of children — including more than a few who had trouble sleeping.

And every time she holds another child, standing up, gently rocking them in her arms, she has the same thought: I am so glad that I’m strong.

“Kids know when you’re sitting and when you’re standing,” Hunt said. “Sometimes, they don’t want to be in a rocking chair. So, you have to stand and rock them, and they can be quite big, 25 pounds or more. And I always think, ‘Oh, man — I’m glad I’m strong.’”

But Hunt’s strength goes beyond that of most childcare professionals. When she isn’t serving as manager at the Wee Care Center at Utah Valley University — an on-campus facility that provides care and education for nearly 100 children every semester — Hunt is often found in the gym, where she hones her muscles to compete in national bodybuilding competitions.

This summer, Hunt placed fifth in her category at the Masters National Championships in Pittsburgh, held by the National Physique Committee, a prominent worldwide organization for amateur bodybuilders.

“Bodybuilding is an outlet for me,” Hunt said. “It’s therapeutic. I get into my zone and push myself as hard as I can.”

While the two fields — childcare and bodybuilding — might initially seem incongruous, Hunt said they fit perfectly together.

“Working in childcare is one of the most rewarding jobs. The children love you, and they brighten every day,” she said. “Childcare can also be difficult at times. Going to the gym and lifting weights gives me a healthy way to relieve stress. I’m passionate about both, and they both take patience, dedication, and lots of energy.”

The word “energy” is the first that Rachel Lund, senior director of the Women’s Success Center and Wee Care, uses to describe Hunt.

“She’s like the Energizer Bunny,” Lund said. “She’s a very, very positive person. And with her being so health-conscious and having that bodybuilding outlet, it’s not hard for her to get down on the ground with her students and get to their level. That’s something that she loves.”

Hunt has been the childcare manager at the Wee Care Center since 2019 but began her career when she was 21 years old. With three children of her own and financial struggles mounting, she started the process of earning a license to operate a home daycare center. The more classes she attended, the more she realized she wanted to make childcare more than a way to pay the bills. Hunt wanted to make it a lifelong vocation.

First entering the industry with a GED, Hunt has since received an associate degree from UVU and a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from Walden University. Her career has taken her from home daycares to professional facilities to training childcare staff across the state of Utah before accepting the position of childcare manager at the Wee Care Center.

“Melisa’s really an expert in her field,” Lund said. “She knows the regulations back and forth. She knows what it takes to create an active and engaged classroom. She knows what it takes to be a good teacher, and she does amazing training with all the teachers who report up through her. She’s phenomenal.”

As for her “other” career, Hunt started training for bodybuilding competitions in 2016. She trained hard for a year and entered her first competition in Salt Lake City in 2017.

“I learned that I had a lot to learn,” Hunt said. “I spent the next four years training, eating, growing my muscles, and learning to pose on stage.”

That training involves up to four and a half hours in the gym every day, performing a variety of workouts, plus eating as many as six meals a day to bulk up and fuel her body to create muscle.

In 2021, Hunt took first place in the women’s physique category at a competition in Idaho. That led her to the national competition in Pittsburgh this year. Winning that is now her goal, which would earn her professional status and qualify her to compete for monetary prizes and accept sponsorships.

But beyond the competitive aspect, Hunt said she loves the feeling of being on stage and showing off her hard work.

“You step on stage, and you just feel beautiful,” she said. “I feel like a princess for the day.”

Lund said she loves how Hunt has taken two seemingly disparate interests and fit them together in her life.

“We need to bring our whole selves to work, all of our different passions, who we are, and what we’re interested in,” Lund said.

Lund emphasized that the Wee Care Center and the Women’s Success Center are just two resources that empower all UVU students to thrive.

“I want to let women know that, regardless of whether or not they want to be mothers, whether or not they want to be married, we can help them through their education at whatever stage,” she said. “Empowered women empower everybody. And we welcome anybody who needs a safe space.”

Wherever her strength takes her, Hunt said she’s committed to making the Wee Care Center a key factor in helping Wolverine student-parents achieve their dreams — a role she can see herself holding until she retires.

“At the end of every semester, I say goodbye to families as they move on to new things after graduation,” Hunt said. “Many of the parents personally thank me and express their gratitude for the Wee Care [Center’s] support throughout their education. ‘I would not have been able to do it without the Wee Care [Center]’ is the phrase I hear most. I am so honored to be part of it.”