Ashley Melendez spends most of her time playing softball and earning a discipleship counseling degree from the Philadelphia Biblical University in Langhorne.
In the summertime, though, she’s busy becoming one with the great outdoors.
"I’ve been a camp counselor for about three years now," said Melendez, a Frankford native who works at Camp Edge, a Christian camp in Alloway, N.J. "We bring inner-city kids out here, where they can be active and get some fresh air. We share God and take them out into the wilderness and let them enjoy the camp experience. I absolutely love it."
For Melendez, an average day at Camp Edge can include hiking, camping, rope climbs, swimming, canoeing or — on a good day — a combination of all of them. As a camp counselor, it is her responsibility to ensure the kids’ safety and happiness.
"It’s funny because I always went fishing with my dad when I was younger," she said. "But I grew up in Philadelphia. I’ve never been in a kayak or anything! So when I first came here, it was new for me too."
It didn’t take long for Melendez to settle in. Within a few weeks of mentoring the camp’s visitors, her mind was made up — this was her life calling.
"I always wanted to be a teacher, and I guess after working at camp, I thought I was called more to be a counselor," said Melendez. "A lot of my kids would come to me and look for advice, and I loved it. That’s where I’m suppose to be."
Now a discipleship counseling major at Philadelphia Biblical University, Melendez is getting one step closer to her dream every day.
"Classes are going great so far," said Melendez, who is taking 17 credits. "It’s stressful, but I’m dealing with it well. Softball definitely helps."
When she’s not leading the way for her campers, Melendez can be found leading the Crimson Eagles on the softball field.
The junior pitcher has helped her squad on its current five-game winning streak, most recently beating Wilson College twice in a doubleheader on April 8. The first game was an 11-1 victory; the second was just as commanding, 12-5. A game scheduled for April 12 against Baptist Bible was rescheduled because of inclement weather.
After going 2-32 in 2006, the Crimson Eagles came back last season to earn an overall 11-18-1 record in the North Eastern Athletic Conference. The nine-game turnaround is the largest in PBU program history.
This year, they’re hoping to take their success one step further.
"The season is going well so far, a lot better than last year’s season," said Melendez. "This year I’m a lot more comfortable. I’m mentally there and my pitching is together. I have a lot more confidence in myself."
Melendez’s pitching career had a late start. She didn’t try windmill until her freshman season at Northeast High School. At the time, she also was a regular with the Rhawnhurst recreational team, which just happened to need a pitcher.
"They didn’t have a pitcher, so I stepped up and gave it a try," she said. "Then at Northeast they needed pitchers, so I tried it again and stuck with it and now I absolutely love pitching."
During her days as a Viking, Melendez played a vital role on the varsity softball squad. She was named an All-Public athlete on the diamond three times during her tenure at Northeast, helping her squad win the Public League championship as a junior.
"I still have my championship jacket that I wear around," said Melendez, who also was named most valuable player during her junior season at Northeast. "It was really exciting to win it."
After her high school graduation, though, Melendez decided to step back from her beloved game of softball and concentrate on schoolwork.
But that didn’t last too long.
"Softball has always been my love," said Melendez. "But it was a tough adjustment from high school to college. It was a lot more than I expected."
During her collegiate softball debut as a sophomore, Melendez initially struggled, turning out a 4-6 record on the hill.
This year though, she is back and ready to step up her game. The hurler is armed with a rise ball, curve, drop, fastball and change-up, and she’s eager to prove herself on the mound.
"I am really excited for this season," she said. "Things are looking good and I feel a lot more confident. It’s going to be a good year." ••
Sports editor Melissa Yerkov can be reached at 215-354-3035 or myerkov@phillynews.com