Amy Michel is a teacher’s aide for Algebra I and Geometry. Typically, when students get to Algebra II, they have found a way to learn and study to get through their homework, so they do not need her assistance any more. But, she is available if it is needed.

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Southerner: In your free time, what do you like to do?

Michel: “In my free time, I love spending time with my grandson, Owen. He is almost a year-and-a-half years old. The other big thing that I like to do is follow Big 10 Basketball and cheer for my Purdue Boilermakers because I am an alumna of Purdue, so I love doing that.”

Southerner: What are three awesome things about yourself?

Michel: “It’s hard for me to think about awesome things about myself because I kind of don’t like to toot my own horn when it comes to a lot of things. I pride myself on being very organized at school and at home. I am a neat and tidy person. I think that I am a caring person and try to be a good listener, not only for adults but also for students. I also pride myself on knowing my husband since I was a freshman at Gibson Southern; he was a junior. We celebrated 30 years of marriage this year, so I pride myself on that.”

Southerner: If you weren’t working in the field of education, what would you do instead?

Michel: “A boring answer would have probably been to continue in management. I used to work for a local plastics company after college, and I chose to stay at home with my girls for a while and do all the mommy things, and then I got back into the workforce. So, I probably would have chosen to continue that management to see where that would have led to. My fun thing that I would have loved to do someday, and still might, is volunteer at the Ronald McDonald house for the families that have sick children in the hospital and just need love and support and things while they are caring for their children during that time.”

Southerner: What is your favorite family recipe?

Michel: “My favorite family recipe is probably a dessert called dirt pudding. It reminds me of my grandmother from the first time I had it. My grandmother passed away when I was in seventh grade of cancer, but I always think of her when I make that recipe.”

Southerner: Would you rather go to the beach or go camping?

Michel: “No brainer – I would rather be at the beach, out in the sun near the water. The water is so calming and relaxing. Definitely not camping because I am not a camping kind of girl. Like I have said many times, I would probably be a glamper and not a camper. I would have to have electricity and running water.”

Southerner: What’s your favorite thing to do after school?

My favorite thing after school is an ideal evening that we have a lot of is just to come home from work. When me and my husband come home from work we cook dinner together in the kitchen, go on a walk in our subdivision, and come back and have a talk on our back porch about how our day went. Just having communication time of the day. That’s my ideal day.

Southerner: Who is your favorite superhero?

Michel: “That would probably be Wonder Woman. I just think Wonder Woman and I would say that I can handle most things that are thrown my way. I feel that I can do that and handle most situations. I also feel like I look out for people I care about. I would say I have strength in that field.”

Southerner: If you won a million dollars, what would you buy?

Michel: “I have a few things that I would like to do with that million dollars. Number one thing, I would like to travel. There are many places that my husband and I have on our bucket list that we still want to go to. I would set some more money aside in savings. This is something that I have thought about for a long time, but there is nothing really for teens to do in Gibson County, and I would really like to build some kind of huge pole barn type building and have a teen center. An updated teen center because I know that there is an older one in the community but an updated community center that has bowling, indoor miniature golf and just things that kids are into and things for them to do, that way there is something to keep them out of trouble and on the right path.”