Michelle Scholefield

Professor

“When I was in grad school at USC, my advisor had me come to SMC to teach part- time. And I got the bug! I said, ‘This is it! I’m going back to SMC!’”

At first sight, she may not remind you of a Rastafarian. But put a plate of goat stew and a side of fried plantains in front of her, and Michelle Scholefield will quickly lapse into the musical patois of her native Jamaica. “I grew up in Kingston—which is such a melting pot—and coming to SMC is very much like coming home again, but in a different way,” she says. “I love the diversity of the students here so much, and I truly believe that we have some of the best educators anywhere at this College. The emphasis,” she continues, “is on teaching, teaching, and more teaching.” And Michelle reports that, in her classes, Chemistry—or as she calls it, ‘The Wall’—is not a subject to be fearful of tackling.

“One of my classes is Chem 10, where I teach people who’ve had a zero chemistry background in high school. This is the class where we get people up and functioning and over their negative feelings to the point where they’re saying, ‘Wait a minute! This is…good! This is…fun!’ And if, from the tone of her words—and that joyful face—you haven’t yet caught on to what you can expect in Michelle’s classes, she’ll tell you herself.

“Energy and enthusiasm!” she says with a burst of…energy and enthusiasm. “In intimidating subjects like Chemistry, you’ve gotta spice it up. It’s not easy,” she continues, “but it looks easy when those NFL football players make a catch in the end zone. And it’s the exact same way with Chemistry. Practice makes perfect. And you’ve gotta get dirty and feel the pain. But if you’re willing to do that,” says Michelle, “I will push, I will kick, and I will drag you across that goal line.”

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