Michelle Awad

Michelle initially joined the Odyssey Project as an intern during her undergraduate degree at the University of Illinois. Upon graduation, she worked in the nonprofit sphere in Champaign-Urbana, both for the YWCA and University YMCA as a program coordinator and advisor for student organizers.

Michelle's bachelor's degree is in Education Policy and Arabic Studies. She recently completed a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction, as well as a Secondary Education English Teaching License. She is dedicated to providing equitable opportunities for people to engage with the humanities in meaningful and impactful ways, believing deeply that, in the words of Audre Lorde: "Poetry is not a luxury."