Michelle
Hovel
Culturally, politically, and socially, Michelle Hovel maintains a strong connection to her Diné (Navajo) heritage. Originally from the Navajo reservation community of Greasewood, AZ located in the southwest portion of the Diné Nation. Michelle currently resides in central Phoenix. A self-imposed educational fast-track student at Phoenix College, she collectively earned in two years an Associate of Arts Degree, an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Administration of Justice, an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Forensic Technology, and finally, an Academic Certificate in American Indian Studies. Continuing her education in 2019, Michelle transferred to Arizona State University (ASU) from where she will graduate with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice in Summer 2020. Michelle plans to begin graduate school pursuing a Master of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice at her soon to be alma mater ASU in Fall 2020. Her eleven-year professional career as a Detention Officer with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office serves as the catalyst for her wish to compile meaningful research data, write professionally, and publish nationally in the critical domains of social justice in Indian Country, criminal jurisdictional reform in tribal communities, restorative justice among Indigenous families and kin, decolonization initiatives at the grassroots level in cities that border reservations, and unsolved cases of murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls. Michelle’s most recent endeavor is one that she finds most rewarding. Since Summer 2019, she has been employed as a Student Success Specialist. She provides support within the scope of culturally oriented college services as well as mentoring to at-risk American Indian high school students who participate in Phoenix College’s Hoop of Learning Program. Michelle has developed and expanded upon a student support system tailored specifically for American Indian students in two Navajo Language Studies courses and one American Indian History course during the Academic Year 2019-2020.
Lab Alumni
Navajo Nation
