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Michelle Melanson ’75, has remained a steadfast advocate for Mount Saint Mary’s since her graduation. Her dedication and generosity were celebrated at the President’s Annual Scholarship Appreciation Luncheon on February 20, where she received this year’s Unstoppable Supporter Award.

“I want students to have the same opportunities I have had,” Michelle shares. “The Mount is always finding new ways to help students fulfill their dreams — whether by expanding programming or providing financial aid — and I am passionate about supporting those efforts.”

A Los Angeles native, Michelle joined Mount Saint Mary’s as a transfer student, where she discovered her passion for business after enrolling in an accounting class. “Before coming to the Mount, I was floundering,” she recalls. “But that class gave me clarity and focus. From then on, I was completely determined to earn my degree and pursue a business career. The program was exceptional, and I was surrounded by professors and peers who truly propelled me forward.”

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies with an emphasis in business, Michelle had an impressive career in banking, taking on positions in trusts, consumer lending, and operations. She later joined the U.S. Department of Treasury, where she audited banking and financial institutions over her 20-year career there. 

She credits her professors and the Mount’s dynamic academic environment for equipping her with the education, skills and values that became the foundation of her professional success. “I was always respected for my work ethic, diligence and level of care— qualities that were instilled in me at the Mount,” she says.

Since retiring from the Treasury in 2010, Michelle has worked as a consultant, and she now volunteers as a teacher’s aide with elementary-grade students in the Pico-Union neighborhood. At the Mount, she actively participates in service initiatives, including the annual President’s Invitation to Serve event.

Financially supporting future generations of Mount students has long been a priority for Michelle and her family. In the 1980s, Michelle’s brother, Greg Melanson, established an endowed scholarship that she and her siblings continue to fund annually. Michelle also serves on the University’s Regents Council and is a member of the Mount’s Heritage Society and the Le Puy Society.

As she prepares to celebrate its 50-year class reunion at this year’s Homecoming, Michelle is humbled and grateful to receive the Unstoppable Supporter Award and hopes it inspires others to give back to the University in any way they can. “There are so many ways to make a difference,” she says. “When donors and alumnae share their gifts and talents with Mount students, they are truly helping them cross bridges to fulfilling their dreams,” she says.