Michelle Marshall

Michelle was born and raised in Chicago, IL. She attended South Suburban College and received her Associates of Liberal Arts Degree in 2015. She then moved on to Governors State University for one semester majoring in Speech Language Pathology. Michelle’s drive to switch gears and pursue American Sign Language stemmed from an older cousin in the family who is profoundly Deaf. In wanting to give communication access to her Hearing family, Michelle completed one year in MacMurray College’s ASL program and then transferred to Columbia College Chicago and completed her remaining 3 years in their ASL program. While attending Columbia, Michelle had the incredible opportunity of studying at Gallaudet University in Washington D.C., the world’s only college for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students. She became immersed in Deaf culture and the Deaf community to become an advocate and ally for her cousin. Michelle graduated from Columbia College Chicago in 2021 with her Bachelor’s degree in American Sign Language-English Interpretation. Michelle worked as an ASL interpreter for a little under 2 years, interpreting for Deaf junior high and high school students. At the same time, Michelle decided to return to Governors State University to pursue her Master’s degree in Communication, Media and Performance and graduated in May 2025.

While studying for her MA degree, Michelle was heavily involved on campus, holding positions such as President of Black Student Union for 2 years, Vice President of Music Company, a member of Student Activities Council, among many others. Michelle brings her expertise in leadership, programming, working in and around college campuses/communities, and with a variety of diverse student populations. Michelle has lived on 3 different college campuses, so she understands the joys and challenges of being away from home and living cohesively with others. Michelle is excited to serve as an example to this group of students while she assists them in personal growth, life skills, and mentorship.