Staff Bio
Michelle Hamlin
Manager of Advising & Student Transitions; Academic Advising
Michelle Hamlin serves as Manager of Advising & Student Transitions at John A. Logan College, where she supports students from New Student Orientation and ORI100 through successful transfer after completing their time at JALC. She leads advising processes and transition initiatives, partnering with colleagues across campus to create a smooth and supportive experience for students from their first day through completion.
Michelle began her career as a student worker and Orientation Leader at Southeast Missouri State University and advanced to the role of Graduate Assistant, where she helped implement the Peer Advising Support at Southeast (PASS) Program and streamline Master Advisor training for faculty and staff advisors. She joined the JALC family in 2021 and has since been an active member of the Academic Advising team and ORI100 program, contributing to student success initiatives and transition programming.
A 2025 Chair Academy graduate and Student Ambassador advisor, Michelle is passionate about helping leaders grow by using their individual strengths and experiences to strengthen teamwork and collaboration. She works to align staff talents and long-term goals in ways that enhance departmental effectiveness and student success, and she is dedicated to building high-performing teams by leveraging individual strengths to create meaningful, lasting impact for students and the institution.
Leadership Focus Statement
I believe effective leadership begins with understanding and leveraging individual strengths to build cohesive, high-performing teams, all grounded in a student-first mindset. I hope to encourage my team to collaborate intentionally and strategically so their collective strengths create meaningful impact, supporting students at every stage of the college journey.
Fun Fact or Personal Interest
I’m a self-proclaimed treasure hunter when it comes to finding the perfect coffee shop to read a good book on a rainy Saturday afternoon. I also love meeting newly engaged couples across Southern Illinois who are looking for a little extra help planning and executing their big day — I’ve planned and/or coordinated more than 50 weddings in the 618!