A History of Hard Work – Always Training, Always Educating
Michelle is a hard worker through and through. She put herself through college and earned a bachelor’s in communications from Whitworth University. From there, Michelle landed a front desk position at KXLY where she was eventually promoted to the TV newsroom. Michelle then moved to Oregon and started her career in education, teaching 7th and 8th graders in a variety of subjects such as math, English, and U.S. history. Michelle then accepted a role as an Admissions Counselor for Sterling College. Tasked with increasing enrollment, Michelle proposed a successful recruitment strategy that developed strong relationships between many community colleges by establishing a Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship and ensuring students their credit and college fund did not go to waste.
Helping Communities in Need by Educating Future Leaders
Because Sterling College integrated a program designed to teach non-profit skills, it attracted well-known non-profit organizations such as Habitat for Humanity. With a high demand for students with world-ready skills, Michelle knew just what to do. Working with AmeriCorps, Michelle helped devise a program that identified in-need communities in the area. AmeriCorps approved the program and gave students a stipend to help serve communities in need while they attend college. Students gained valuable skills in non-profit service while transforming the communities around them for the better. Habitat for Humanity employed these students upon graduation. As this program grew, ten full ride scholarships were given out which brought more service organizations including World Vision.
Serving At-Risk Individuals & Expanding Critical Medical Training
After Sterling College, Michelle became a representative for Career Path Services WIA in Spokane, Washington. Michelle worked with clients and employers to create and provide training for at-risk individuals that would provide them with a living wage. Finally, Michelle worked for the American Heart Association (AMA) as a Training Network Account Manager which covered Alaska, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Washington. She was tasked with the mission of saving lives by growing the number of CPR/First Aid Training Centers. She provided business consultations, training, and regional conferences. Michelle also oversaw quality assurance to preserve and ensure that life-saving skills met the highest standards and were upheld to fulfill the AMA’s mission.
Strong Family Bonds
Michelle was a single mom for nineteen years before she married Don Andres twelve years ago. Don is a retired Pasco Firefighter/Paramedic and currently serves as a Branch Manager for Power City Electric. Together, Michelle and Don have four children who all have successful careers in education, engineering, management, and business. Michelle’s family is a diverse American family rich in Hispanic and Thai heritage with their eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.