Michaela was born and raised in rural Oregon. Despite dropping out of high school and later becoming a single mother, Michaela graduated from Oregon State University with a B.S. in Speech Communication and a minor in Psychology. She further persisted and holds a Juris Doctor from the University of La Verne. Michaela is passionate about the economic and educational advancement of families and continues advocating to foster pathways of success for others. Michaela’s experience has included serving as a Student Parent Advisor with Ascend at the Aspen Institute, and sitting on the Family Advisory Committee for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Her policy efforts have included Oregon Senate Bill 564 — the first of its kind to require colleges and universities to collect and report on the enrollment and graduation rates of student parents.
