Melissa Michaels
Wild Life Productions
Boulder, CO USA
"I managed to transform a certain amount of suffering into gold."
Career Roadmap
Melissa's work combines: Art, Education, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Environmental Design/Architecture
University of Colorado Boulder
Graduate Degree
Educational Leadership and Administration, General
Fielding Graduate University
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
She was always drawn to people younger than herself; when she was 12 years old, she ran a summer camp for her fellow neighborhood kids.
2.
Her brand of education focuses on "rites of passage," giving youths significant experiences that help them mindfully transition into adulthood.
3.
When she was growing up, she was surrounded by alcoholism; as a result, she harbored a lot of anger.
4.
People suggested that she meditate to deal with her frustrations, but she never had success with meditation-she always had trouble sitting still.
5.
Finally, she found her source of true peace: dancing.
6.
She knew that there were others out there, like her, who could benefit from the healing power of dance.
7.
Decided that at 30 years old, she would go back to school and get her Ph.D. in education so she could make the greatest impact possible.
8.
Says her bout with alcohol and drugs caused her to lose sight of her "glory," so now her goal is to help kids harness and hold on to their own glory.
Defining Moments
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I had a childhood that was with a certain privelege but also with a certain degree of violence in my environment and by an overlay of alcoholism. I was really angry and I didn't know why, and I didn't know what to do with all my emotions.
I had a child very young with an individual that was very different from my family as a part of this rebellious push back against the paradigm in which I had grown up.