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Michelle Albina LeCorn

Biography

Highlights of Young Scholar Experience: Perhaps the best and most meaningful experience during Michelle LeCorn’s four years as a Young Scholar was the very first group activity she participated in, CivicWeek, in New York City. It opened the young New Englander’s eyes to the problems of the world and what she might do to help solve them.

Profile: Michelle grew up in a sleepy little town in Southeastern Massachusetts, worlds apart from the hustling, bustling world of New York City, 150 miles to the south. But it was in the summer of 2008 at the Foundation-sponsored CivicWeek that she came to learn what the term “culture shock” really means. Each day Michelle and her fellow Young Scholars would leave the security and comfort of their dorm rooms at Fordham University in the Bronx and explore New York City. The first day she sorted donations at a homeless shelter and the next she served meals at a soup kitchen in the city’s Chelsea Section, and recalls fondly the kindness and warmth of the men she served coffee to. The third day Michelle spent with a pro bono attorney who works with the city’s impoverished population. “Yes, it was quite a culture shock for a girl from a 96.1% white, small town. I’d never seen the homeless, or heard foreign languages spoken, and had certainly never seen widespread poverty.” That brief week is one of the reasons Michelle hopes to make a career in international relations. “CivicWeek made me realize how much of an education is available outside the classroom. As I move on in life I will use my experiences there as a motivation to fully immerse myself in what I study.”

Inspiration: Michelle says that she is “a CNN-junkie,” understanding that events happening in Asia or the Middle East or somewhere in the globe will eventually affect the U.S. Her understanding and love for current events is the direct result of a retired teacher at her high school, Nicholas Peachy. “His International Relations class was a well-needed explanation of current issues, wars, and cultural shifts in the world. His wisdom along with his placid style of living remains an inspiration to me.”

Aspiration: Michelle hopes to work in foreign relations, either with the government, a non-profit agency or with a multi-national company.

Making a Difference: While Michelle does her share of community service activities, the personal accomplishment she is most proud of is the purchase of her 1999 Pontiac Sunbird. “Although it may not seem like an achievement I am proud of the purchase of my first car. Just weeks after turning 16 I started working four days a week at my local supermarket, balancing schoolwork, extracurricular activities, social life, family life, and my job. In addition to time, I began to manage my money, designating portions of my paycheck to a savings account. I eventually saved up enough money to buy my car. I realize it is a common occurrence for high school students to have their own vehicles, but my purchase was a personal victory.”

Accolades: Michelle is a member of the National Honor Society at Somerset High School and captain of the school’s Debate Team. In November of 2009, she was named “Student of the Month” and earlier that year was presented with the Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony Award for excellence in environmental science coursework. In addition she was named a “Commended Student” by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

Interesting fact: Even though Michelle is a self-professed “computer addict,” the best way for her to spend a summer afternoon is with a good book on her backyard hammock.
 

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