Melinda is Catholic

Melinda Ann French was born in Dallas, Texas, on August 15, 1964. Her parents, Raymond Joseph French and Elaine Agnes Amerland are her second-born siblings. Melinda remains a practicing Catholic today. She went to St. Monica Catholic School as a child, where she consistently placed at the top of her class.

She eventually made her way to the Catholic girls' college prep school Ursuline Academy of Dallas. She was enrolled in an advanced math class in seventh grade when she first developed an interest in computers. Her teacher, Mrs. Susan Bauer, who favored teaching computer science to girls, gave her her first computer experience here.

She confesses in her book the disagreement between her religious convictions and those of her religion. She believes the church has taught her to share what she has and have sympathy for people who are suffering and in need, even though she disagrees with the order established by males and professed by the church that harms and oppresses women. She was motivated by that to work for improving the status of women in the world. In the end, she was able to bring the two together on an amicable basis.