“Through my role in the fellowship, I am able to hold an amplifier to the voices of the residents in rural communities throughout Mississippi and turn it to eleven. While the Mississippi Delta may be one of the most impoverish regions of the country, the people are rich with pride in their communities. At the rural scale, the small wins are elevated and make a larger impact on the community and serves as a catalyst for further change. I am honored to be welcomed into the communities and to make Mississippi my fellowship home.”

Co-hosted by Hope Enterprise Corporation and Delta Design-Build Workshop, Michelle serves as a formal connection for a longtime partnership of the two groups working throughout the Mississippi Delta. Combined, the two organizations are striving to raise social and financial equity for rural communities through the built environment. Using the resources from both organizations, Delta communities are being strengthen with the essential tools for social resiliency and sustainability. Michelle brings further capacity to the organizations formally linking the shared values.

Prior to joining the fellowship, Michelle was based in Kigali, Rwanda, teaching the first generation of architects in the country. She has worked for more than a decade throughout the U.S. and Rwanda with experience in both traditional and non-traditional architectural and educator roles. Michelle holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities and a Master of Architecture from the Boston Architectural College.