About Melanie Tacti
Melanie McAlister Tacti was born in Jacksonville, Florida, but it was her grandmother who gave her the name that stuck: “Smiling Eyes.” She was raised in the small riverside town of Lake Asbury, spending most of her childhood surrounded by water, nature, and the strong support of her close-knit family.
Her parents, whom she considers her biggest inspirations, and her older brother, Jason, were the anchors of her upbringing. From the very start, Melanie brought warmth and joy to every room she entered. Their home was the heart of the neighborhood, filled with laughter, backyard adventures, and constant company.
As a kid, Melanie had a deep love for movement. She was a competitive gymnast until a back injury at age 12 led her to pivot to cheerleading, where she shone just as brightly. She quickly rose to captain on every team she joined, a role that perfectly suited her natural ability to inspire and lift others.
In school, Melanie thrived in science and math, graduating with honors from Middleburg High School with dreams of attending the University of Florida or Florida State on a cheerleading scholarship.
Melanie dreamed of being a cheerleader since she was in middle school. But little did she know, those dreams were about to be crushed, only to make way for greater ones. Her best friend called one day and asked if she wanted to try out with her that weekend for the Jacksonville Jaguars NFL cheerleading team, The Roar.
Melanie Tacti had never even thought about professional cheerleading before. She was a tomboy most of her life. But something told her to go ahead and try it out. After two months of grueling tryouts, Melanie made the team.
From 1999 to 2001, Melanie did more than perform in the field. She also toured overseas for three USO Middle East tours while representing the Jaguars and entertaining U.S. troops. Those years were about more than football—they were about sisterhood, growth, and service.
After her cheerleading chapter ended, Melanie realized she was truly being called to something different: caring for others. She went to school while working, earning a degree from St. Leo University before accepting a job as a radiation therapist at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. For seven years, she walked with patients during some of their darkest days. It changed her life and molded her into who she is today.
In 2009, Melanie pushed even further. She went back to school and became a medical dosimetrist, another crucial but under-the-radar profession in cancer treatment. As a dosimetrist, she accurately determines how much radiation a patient needs, ensuring that it’s enough to kill cancer cells but not too much for the healthy tissues to handle. Today, she’s the Chief Medical Dosimetrist at Terk Oncology—a career milestone she’s worked tirelessly to achieve.
She may be an expert in her field, but for Melanie, this isn’t just a job—it’s a calling she deeply cherishes. Each patient gets 200% of her time and energy, and she treats them like family because that’s exactly what patients become over time.

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Melanie Tacti


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