Her Story
About Michaella
Michaella Louis, EdD, MA, CTA, is a higher education professional, financial aid counselor, entrepreneur, and community advocate dedicated to advancing educational equity, mental health awareness, and culturally responsive support systems. She currently serves at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida, where she advises undergraduate students and their families on federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs. In this role, she guides students through FAFSA completion, loan applications, verification, and appeals, while also providing individualized financial literacy education focused on budgeting, loan management, and long-term financial planning.
With approximately four years of experience in higher education, Michaella’s career began at Florida Atlantic University, where she worked as a student employee before advancing through undergraduate and graduate assistant roles. She transitioned into financial aid two years ago, where she has continued to expand her expertise while collaborating across campus departments to remove barriers and improve student access and success. Her academic journey culminated in earning a Doctorate in Educational Leadership, with a dissertation centered on mental health stigma among Haitian college students in South Florida, reflecting her deep commitment to culturally informed research and advocacy.
Beyond her professional role, Michaella is the founder of EmpowerPath Career Services LLC, a small business dedicated to providing affordable, culturally competent career support, including resume development, cover letter writing, and career coaching for individuals and organizations. She also brings experience in political campaign work and remains actively engaged in community service and advocacy. She is involved with Florida Rising, where she was recently nominated for youth chair, serves as an officer with Seeds of Strength Correlation focused on Haiti-centered education and advocacy, and contributes to Eat Better, Live Better, a nonprofit addressing food insecurity. Across all her roles, she is guided by a commitment to service, empowerment, and creating meaningful, lasting community impact.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Michaella
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the incredible mentors I've had throughout my journey. One individual who has been a role model is Debra, who founded her own nonprofit, Eat Better Live Better, which is something I would love to do one day. That's part of the reason why I founded my own organization to help lower-income individuals with career support. She's now in the House of Representatives, and she's been a great mentor to me. I also have another mentor since high school who works in education as well, and her support and her always being there for me always gets me going. Honestly, just seeing all the different women I'm encountering in different fields, in places that I eventually want to be at, that alone for me is a motivation. My diverse educational background has also really contributed to my career. I recently finished my doctorate in educational leadership, and I got to research and do my dissertation on something I'm very passionate about, which dealt with mental health among Haitian college students in South Florida. Having that research out there and my dissertation published is something I'm proud of, and it has helped me as a financial aid counselor when dealing with distressed students or families, giving me better ways to assist them.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say to never give up, honestly. I do believe that the right door will open at the right time, because there have been many instances when I myself am finding different spaces to be in, and multiple of those doors have been shut because I wasn't given the opportunity to even share my potential. So I would say, just in the field in general, there will be a lot of closed doors, but to not give up, because the right door will open at the right time. Especially if this is such a passion of hers, to never give up, because the right people will see your potential, and they will give you the opportunity that is due to you. I would also add that it's important to put yourself out there for other women to see what you're doing, because maybe that will eventually motivate them as well, just hearing your story and your background.
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