Mickelie’s vision for The Village started with an intimate understanding of the tension between growth and motherhood. After hearing her son’s heartbeat at a free clinic in 2013, she took her first step toward becoming a survivor of abuse and addiction.

Mickelie began Human Services Technologies coursework at Sandhills Community College while pregnant and went on to earn a BA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from UNC Chapel Hill in 2018 after commuting from her parent’s house in Whispering Pines every day for 2 years so they could help with her son, Jonah, while she attended school.

She has since been married, broke, pregnant, divorced, promoted, and underemployed…in that order. But through life’s challenges, she has had a proverbial ‘village’.

“I have always had family and friends whose support allowed me to learn instead of fail. It was never easy because I had help, I just kept moving forward even when it felt hard because I wasn’t alone. That is a privilege I feel responsible to share. I believe my journey has uniquely prepared me to advance this particular mission.”

Mickelie’s goal is to have The Village’s initiatives 100% organically funded through donations and merchandise sales by 2026.