“I’ve gotten used to the questions I get asked when I first meet people,” says Michele Nihiser. “It’s always a complicated story, explaining that I’ve grown up overseas because of the military, but I’m still 100% American!”
And that is one of the reasons Michele enjoys attending Florida State – “I love meeting and getting a chance to befriend people from all backgrounds and parts of the world. It’s exciting to learn interesting things from them and have them learn from what I’ve experienced.”
With her involvement in community service projects, Michele has many opportunities to make new friends. Last year alone she volunteered for the Leon County Humane Society’s PetSmart Adoption Booth, for Tallahassee’s Downtown Getdown, for Reach Out, and she was a participant in the Second Harvest Service Project, and in Operation Christmas Child. In the spring, she participated in the National Society of Collegiate Scholars’ Relay for Life.
Michele also works part-time at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Big Bend, where she helps oversee a dozen Clubs in various counties, organizing events, coordinating activities, training, and preparing proposals. She is in constant contact with organizations and schools that participate in the Clubs’ service and mentoring programs, but the best part about her job is when she can “interact with the kids. It’s the most fulfilling job I’ve ever had.”
It is her passion to “make a difference” that drew her to a Criminology Internship with the Attorney General’s Office. This semester she begins working for both the Criminal Appeals and Victim Advocacy divisions. For Appeals, she will assist in the entire process of cases, from misdemeanors to capital punishment. For Victim Advocacy, she will attend court sessions to witness the argument from the victim’s point of view.
Michele majors in Criminology and carries a double minor in Biological Science and English. She recently completed her Honors Thesis, “The Advances of DNA Technology and its Effects on the Criminal Justice System.” After graduation in December, Michele plans to attend law school and pursue a career in Criminal Investigations. She will, no doubt, make a difference in the lives of those she serves.