A native of Spanish Fort, AL, Michelle Roca is a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Space Force. As her first assignment, Michelle is a graduate student at the Harvard Kennedy School, pursuing a master’s degree in public policy. Before coming to Harvard, Michelle was a Distinguished Graduate of the United States Air Force Academy in the Class of 2022 where she earned a B.S. in Biology. She was a sprinter-hurdler for Air Force’s NCAA DI Women’s Track and Field team, specializing in the 400m and 400m hurdles. Michelle holds Air Force’s record in the 400m hurdles (59.81). She was the first sub-60 hurdler in Air Force history as well as Air Force’s first female hurdler to compete at the NCAA Division I Championships.
Michelle was the Mountain West Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year for 2021-2022, the United States Air Force Academy's top-ranked senior in terms of Physical Education Average, a four-time Mountain West Scholar-Athlete and academic all-conference selection, and an All-Academic Athlete by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association. After her time at Harvard, Michelle will become an Intelligence Officer in the U.S. Space Force.
