Michelle

EDUCATION: PhD in sociology from Purdue University
CAREER: Professor of Sociology, Dean of Multicultural Affairs

Michelle is an extraordinary woman, but she didn’t always know that.

She came to Calvin to become a medical technologist and now, over 30 years later, she is Calvin’s Dean of Multicultural Affairs.

How did she get to where she is today? It’s quite simple: people.

• the sociology prof who inspired her to change her major, kept in touch with her during graduate school and brought her back to Calvin to teach
• the fellow sociologist (formerly, her professor) who invited Michelle to co-author a book with him
• the co-workers who cheered her on as she became a dean at Calvin

Now she challenges her students to become extraordinary people.

“We’re asking you to think about what God is calling you to do instead of telling you what God is calling you to do. We want you to ask the hard questions about who you are and what you can do and how you can make an impact in this world.”