LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Michelle Groce was nominated by a colleague who wishes to remain anonymous.

 As the Lead Teacher and social worker of the alternative school program, Michelle Groce wears many hats. She goes above and beyond the duties of her job to provide teenage mothers with a safe and inspiring place to learn and be successful. Many of her students face risks in the community, and all students are on free/reduced lunch. Ms. Groce also works with students who are homeless or in abusive situations.

Because each girl’s situation and needs are unique, no two days look the same for Ms. Groce. In addition to her daily tasks of teaching new mothers, she also conducts counseling, academic advising, and testing. She changes the lives of at-risk students in the area.

"When Hurricane Irma hit in September, we were out of school for over two weeks," the nominator said. "While many school staff sought to get away from the mess, Michelle dove in. She drove around town delivering diapers, formula, water, and other necessities to our students. This may not seem like a big deal, but these were desperate needs. In a place where most people are laborers who get paid either daily or weekly, most families were without any income during this time. Even if they could find a store that was opened and stocked, they had no money to purchase needed supplies."

Ms. Groce is constantly building relationships with people in the community who can partner with the school to better the lives of students. She brings in guest speakers from various social and health services, procures donations of hygiene products and baby items from local businesses, and partners with agencies and nonprofits who sponsor the program by donating gifts to the girls and their babies. These relationships are most often built off campus and off the clock. Ms. Groce often spends her evenings or her Saturdays making connections for the benefit of others.

Some of the most difficult situations Ms. Groce and her colleagues come across are helping girls who are homeless. Homelessness can cause a young girl to put both herself and her baby in unhealthy and unsafe environments.

"I have seen Michelle work around the clock to find housing for students who seem to have no hope," the nominator said. "She exhausts all resources to find suitable homes for the girls and doesn’t stop until they have a safe, healthy place to live."

Ms. Groce's investment into students doesn’t stop when students graduate. She always makes herself available to former students, and is the one they turn to when they need anything. She provides help with finding jobs, choosing colleges and vocational schools, understanding financial aid, and finding childcare. Years after graduating, many girls still turn to Ms. Groce, even if they just need someone to listen.

"Thanks to the loving labor Michelle consistently puts into these girls, they have a hope for their future," the nominator said. "They don’t have to be part of the 50% of teen moms that drop out of school. Michelle may not come into contact with hundreds of students every day – or even every year. But those with whom she has worked will all say the same thing: she has changed their lives. She gives hope and a future to two generations."