15 minutes with Melissa Retterer
What year did you graduate from Ada HS?
2001
What activities were you involved in at Ada HS?
I played soccer and ran track.
Where do you live now and what are you doing?
I now live in Columbus near Polaris. I quit my job as a server over the summer to pursue my handbag business full time.
Please tell us about LuxeFunction, your custom handbag business.
The handbag business I started is called Luxe Function. I design everything in my line for function first and then for looks. Each aspect is as important as the other.
The whole point is that something practical does not have to be boring and something good looking should also have a purpose. I have two main designs right now that can be seen on my site luxefunction.com both of which encompass this idea.
Currently I am selling as a vendor at local markets and hope to add more locations to the list. Also I have begun to contact local consignment shops for sales opportunities. In order to keep up with all of this I have started a kickstarter campaign to raise capital. It will be launched the week of Oct. 20.
When someone asks you “where is Ada and what’s it like?” how do you answer?
I describe Ada as being located in the middle of a cornfield. I tell people the population and that I graduated with 60 kids from a school that is K-12. It is fun to see their reaction because a lot of people I meet here have never been to a place like that. I consider it a privilege to have gone from small town to big city because I think the other way around is a much tougher transition.
Do you stay in touch with any of your Ada HS class mates?
I rarely talk to anyone from my class. We all went different directions. There are a few that I run into now and then when I'm in town but I wouldn't say we're really in touch.
What’s the latest movie you watched and what did you think of it?
I don't watch a lot of new movies. I usually see them once they are on Demand so this may seem a little out of date but I just saw The Grand Budapest Hotel. I really liked it. I will probably buy it. It has that dry humor that I enjoy.
What book is on your nightstand?
The Splat the Cat collection and an array of Dr Seuss. I read to my daughter and she reads to me from memory. Plus I love Dr Seuss so even without her involvement that would probably be there anyway.
Does the mayor of Ada ever seek your advice on village matters?
Do you ask everyone this question or just me? No, the mayor does not usually involve me in any village matters. Although, he is always very proud of village accomplishments and progress of construction so he'll often call me or take me on a tour to tell/show me what is going on in town.
