Michelle N. Barnes

Michelle was born in Queens, New York and raised in the suburbs of Long Island, NY. She has a litany of experience, both in the corporate world as well as the world of entertainment. She was a social worker and professional plus model for over 10 years (concurrently) landing many campaigns, commercials, and fit modeling gigs. She received her Bachelor's Degree from Hofstra University in Psychology in 2006. In 2013, she completed her Master's Degree in Social Work from Yeshiva University where she was chosen to give a speech during her MSW commencement. During this time, she conducted a call to action for all attendees. She graduated with credits towards her PhD in Social Welfare. Michelle later decided to put a pin in PhD candidacy after 3 years completed coursework to pursue her creative passions. In doing so, Michelle applied for and was awarded three separate scholarships to attend Upright Citizen's Brigade (UCB) where she completed both their Improv and Sketch programs. Michelle's sketches have since been featured on the UCB main stage in their inaugural UCBLA's Spotlight Presents. She now focuses on creating stories focusing on non-nuanced experiences of black people. Her passion is to create character driven stories that focus on identification, healing, and self-empowerment.