When Melinda Ward was 5 years old, she would climb a grassy hill to the digesters at the local clean-water plant, and then roll down, just for fun.She wasn’t trespassing. In fact, she was welcome: Her father, Lynwood Sessoms, was superintendent of the plant in Tarboro, North Carolina. Over the years, Ward spent many hours at the plant, “hanging out” with her dad, going with him on rounds, helping pull samples, observing lab work and doing odd jobs. She didn’t do it for pay — instead, she was rewarded with valuable lessons.“One thing my father always taught me was to
