Mimi

Michelle Halley Collett née Boling

Where she has lived

• Rochester, New York, USA
• Grand Blanc, Michigan, USA
• São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
• Muncie, Indiana, USA
• Provo, Utah, USA
• Bar Harbor, Maine, USA
• Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
• Herndon, Virginia, USA
• Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico
• Arlington, Virginia, USA
• Libreville, Estuaire, Gabon
• Waterford, Michigan, USA
• Ciudad de México, Mexico, Mexico

Education

Mimi has a bachelor's degree in English literature and editing, and she works in that field whenever projects present themselves. She also has studied Brazilian Portuguese, Gabonese French, and Mexican Spanish.

Awards

• the 2020 Secretary of State Award for Outstanding Volunteerism Abroad from AASFW
• a 2008 Volunteer Efforts Recognition from Utah Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
• the 2006 Award for Distinguished Contributions to Accessibility from the Brigham Young University Accessibility Center

In 2019, she received a grant from the J. Kirby Simon Trust to install a septic system and improve the bathrooms at an orphanage/children's shelter near Libreville.

Philanthropy

Having moved so many times throughout her life, Michelle learned at a young age that one of the best ways to meet wonderful people in new places is to volunteer (with the added side effect of being a valuable use of time!). In the past decade, through church, community organizations, and schools, she has volunteered as a soccer coach, youth choir director, drama director, English language teacher, and events planner. She most recently was the volunteer coordinator for Projet Tortues Tahiti Gabon (a sea turtle conservation group) and the president of the International Ladies' Club of Libreville. She currently is the co-chair for Charities for the International Women's Club of Mexico City, as well as the newsletter editor for the Diplomatic Spouses Association of Mexico City.

Hobbies

Mimi's favorite hobbies are singing, reading, playing soccer, and watching Asian dramas (specifically South Korean, Chinese, Taiwanese, and Japanese). She dabbles in sewing and blogging.