elise “e” michaux aka the encourager, is from Connellsville, PA--a small rural community outside of Pittsburgh. She received her B.A. in English Literature and M.A. in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Slippery Rock University. She first discovered her calling to higher education during her sophomore year when she served as a FYRST year-leader, mentoring students through their initial transition to college.
You might notice that elise lowercases her name. During undergrad, elise was encouraged by a mentor to read queer activist and feminist bell hooks’ “Ain’t I A Woman” and it changed her life. As a nod to her and its profound impact, she too lowercases her name.
After graduate school, elise began her higher education career at Robert Morris University as a Counselor for Special Student Populations in the Center for Student Success. In this role, she specifically worked with student-athletes, assisting them in creating their academic schedules, connecting them to appropriate academic support services, and ensuring their overall wellbeing.
Currently, she serves as the Marketing and Communications Director at Erie County Community College of PA. She is charged with creating engaging content, both digital and print, that communicates all that is available at the newest community college in the country! She first signed on with the college as the Director of Enrollment Management in July 2021.
Outside of her professional duties, elise is committed to serving the communities that she is a part of. Passionate about diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, elise often presents and uses her social media platform to share on this important topic. As a proud alumna, she also serves on the Council of Trustees at Slippery Rock University. She also loves photography, specifically portraiture and has been shooting since 2016.
As a believer in lifelong learning, elise is currently pursuing her PhD in organizational learning and leadership at Gannon University where her research focuses on inclusive leadership practices and policies. Her publications and presentations focus around these topics as well.
A soug
elise now lives in Erie with her wife Dr. Aly Eagle and their dog Dexter. They recently married in September of 2022.
- e.
Photo by: Taylor Raine Photography