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Meet Michelle Borleske, a Class of 1994 Alumna from Madison, Wisconsin. Michelle currently resides in Tucson, Arizona, and is the Dean of Upper School Student Affairs at The Gregory School. She is also serving in her last year as the Director of College Counseling, so she can focus solely on her Dean duties.
Can you give us a brief description of what you do?
As the Dean of Student Affairs, I work closely with students, parents, faculty members, and my fellow administration colleagues to ensure students in grades 9-12 are successful in both their academic and personal lives. My work in college counseling involves implementing a 4-year career and college exploration program, but is focused primarily on guiding 11th and 12th graders through the college exploration, application, and decision process.
What at NMU helped you most in your current role?
I regularly give credit to the NMU staff for helping me get to where I am today. I began my professional career at NMU in 1991 as the Director of Hunt Hall and had the great privilege of being supervised and mentored by the late Carl Holm. Carl's leadership style and faith in what one could accomplish through hard work helped me develop confidence and very specific leadership and administrative skills. As I moved into other roles, I continued to be challenged and supported by Dean Sandra Michaels, VP Karen Reese, Ed Niemi, Jim Gadzinski, and Gerri Daniels. Each step along the way they taught me to always be student-focused and to take educated risks. There's rarely a week that goes by in my current role where I don't reflect upon or implement a skill or idea that traces back to my NMU days.
What advice would you give current students?
Make connections with people including the faculty and staff. Be aware of and search out every opportunity you can, and don't let nerves or self-doubt keep you from trying new things. Last, but certainly not least, I encourage you to take in all the Marquette and the UP have to offer - swim in Lake Superior, watch the UP 200 Dog Sled Race, go moose watching, head up to Big Bay. So many of my favorite memories are of things that as a city kid, I would've never imagined doing.
Are there personal interests and/or activities you care to share?
Since I'm new to the desert southwest, I'm learning to appreciate the beauty of cacti and (some) creatures native to the area. My husband and I look forward to being able to travel again but have enjoyed local road trips around southern Arizona, California, and Mexico. My most favorite thing in the world, however, is spending time with our three-year-old granddaughter.