Born in the Dominican Republic, Joseline A. Peña-Melnyk attended John F. Kennedy High School in the Bronx, New York. She earned her B.A. in Criminal Justice from Buffalo State College in 1987 and her J.D. from the University at Buffalo Law School in 1991. Her professional career includes serving as an attorney with the Defender Association of Philadelphia and as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. She has served in the Maryland House of Delegates since 2007 and was a former member of the College Park City Council.
