Michelle is a Prevention Education and Outreach Manager at Mission Kids Child Advocacy Center of Montgomery County who cultivated empathy at a young age working as a Dietary Aide at St. Mary’s Manor in Lansdale when she was 14 years old.

“I worked closely with elderly and sick patients who were unable to see their families, especially their grandchildren, so I loved creating bonds with them and becoming a constant in their lives,’ she explains. “It was small, but meaningful interactions, which I now value in most aspects of my life.”

Michelle grew up in a law enforcement family and followed that line of work throughout her education and work experience. “I grew accustomed to seeing the worst and trying to “fix” what I thought was already “broken.” When the opportunity arose for me to start Mission Kids’ first-ever prevention education department, I felt a glimmer of hope that I could make a bigger impact. Rather than being reactive and intervening when a child had been abused, I saw the opportunity for a proactive approach that would prevent child abuse in the first place,” she states.

“I made it my mission to get adults involved in prevention and empower them with the tools needed to create stronger, more resilient communities that banded together to protect children. I also implemented Mission Kids’ child-focused, evidence-based child-focused prevention training (ROAR),” Michelle says.

“I was especially proud to continue these lessons virtually during the 2020-2021 school year while children were isolated from mandated reporters such as teachers, coaches, and counselors due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. During this difficult school year, my department pivoted and provided virtual “ROAR” lessons—from our homes—to 6,509 children ages 4-8 in Montgomery County.”

Former District Attorney and now-Judge Risa Vetri Ferman spoke at North Penn High School when Michelle was a student and had a powerful impact on her. “I was captivated by the way she commanded the attention of an auditorium full of high-school students and made a very difficult topic feel relatable and ‘not-so-scary,” Michelle McDyre notes.

“I went on to study criminal justice at Penn State and interned for then-DA Ferman, which introduced me to Mission Kids and the child advocacy center model. After graduating and working for DA Ferman, I joined them and have evolved in ways that my teenage self would’ve doubted, had it not been for that charismatic and ambitious guest speaker,” Michelle McDyre maintains.

“Working with a multidisciplinary team in Montgomery County, I’m empowered by the collaboration between different agencies,” Michelle says. “Over the years, I’ve seen first-hand how so many organizations can successfully come together to support each other to meet the needs of our community.”

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