Michaela grew up in a rural town in southern New Jersey and now lives in Philadelphia. She studied global health at Georgetown University before coming to the University of Pennsylvania to pursue a dual MD/MPH degree. Michaela is also one of the leaders of the First Generation, Low Income (FGLI) student affinity group at the Perelman School of Medicine and has established a podcast with two other leaders of this organization. The podcast is called Med Legs: Finding Your Footing As A First Generation and/or Low Income Student in Medicine, and it serves as a platform for FGLI students to find community and advice when navigating their own careers in medicine. As someone who has had to figure out much of her journey in higher education on her own, Michaela is passionate about ensuring the success of other first generation and low income students in medicine.