Despite being a Toronto native, Michèle has a hard time deciding whether to call herself an easterner or a westerner. She spent ten years in the western parts of Canada and the US, four of which included completing a BA in Communication Studies at the University of Calgary. Calgary is a city whose mountainous range, hockey team and high spirited residents have clutched Michèle’s heart. She says: “Now I understand why those who leave for the west, seldom return…”

Michèle has always maintained a passionate desire to serve the human community at large. This passion was solidified during the two years she spent traveling as a full time volunteer in the US and Canada, implementing an after school youth leadership program under the catholic organization “International Volunteers Inc.” It was during these years that she realized how important it was to instil in the hearts of North American youth a sincere desire to deepen their relationship with Christ while helping them realize that their individual talents can be used for the betterment of their own communities and society as a whole.

It was in university that she was first exposed to the field of international development which led her to embark on Roteract’s ten person committee elected to travel to Nicaragua to work on a multidimensional development project. The weeks in Central America were a tremendously enriching experience that opened her eyes to a relevant truth brought to our attention years ago by Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta. It was she who confirmed that the greatest levels of poverty lie in the heart of North America for its lack of faith. In September 2006, Michèle joined the Salt and Light team which has provided her with the perfect opportunity to continue to spread the liveliness of the faith in her own country and in the ongoing spirit of World Youth Day 2002.

The passing on of Christian values is one of many things Michèle is grateful to her parents for. Another point of gratitude is her insatiable thirst for learning new languages. Having four under her belt, she’s ready to tackle a fifth…time permitting. Other interests include hiking the Canadian Rockies (sadly a less frequent hobby these days), modern fiction, the arts and travelling. Two of her most memorable travelling experiences include World Youth Day in Paris (1997) where John Paul II became a tremendous source of inspiration and the summer of 2005 when she backpacked Europe with 4 close friends.

Michèle’s projects at Salt + Light include producing episodes of the current affairs program Catholic Focus as well as Zoom, the daily church update now available online. In her own words: “I am so blessed to be a part of this team. Everyday I find I have more and more to learn from my colleagues both in terms of growing in my faith and in my knowledge of the production field.“

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