Michelle grew up in New Jersey, and has lived in New York City for the past six years. She graduated from Fordham University, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in international political economy. Michelle completed a graduate-level thesis examining the efficacy of health campaigns as conduits to peace in conflict zones; her case study was on the Sri Lankan government’s malaria eradication campaign during the nation’s civil war. After graduating, Michelle worked as an operations associate for Global Health Strategies, where she helped build the communications and advocacy firm's fellowship program. She then worked at NYU Langone Medical Center's Department of Population Health, where she was a research coordinator for the HealthyHearts NYC project. Michelle enjoys exploring New York's museums, comedy clubs, and live music events.