Albion student wins ASPIRE fellowship
January 22, 2025
Michelle Ketlhalefile ’28 recently won the Region 3 ASPIRE Arts Leadership Fellowship recognizing leaders in arts management and advocacy.
Ketlhalefile’s pitch presentation for a theatre company in Botswana, Africa, was selected as the strongest among the candidates in Region 3. Ketlhalefile, a native of Gaborone, Botswana, made the pitch during the Kennedy Center American College Theater (KCACTF) Region 3 Festival in Madison, Wisconsin, on Jan. 11th.
Michelle Ketlhalefile ’28 recently won the Region 3 ASPIRE Arts Leadership Fellowship recognizing leaders in arts management and advocacy.
As part of the fellowship, Ketlhalefile will participate in the National Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. in April. During the festival, she will re-present her pitch and compete for scholarship awards, mentorship opportunities, and invitations to programs like the Theatre Communications Group national conference. Additionally, she will engage in professional development workshops, network with industry leaders, and collaborate with other regional fellows.
Approximately eight-12 fellows are selected each year, including representatives from the eight KCACTF regions and students from the virtual region. The program’s intent is to develop and empower future leaders in arts management by providing mentorship, skill-building opportunities, and exposure to industry practices.
Mimi Ketlhalefile is a double major in theatre and economics and management with an emphasis in international business, with a concentration in the Carl A. Gerstacker Institute for Business and Management. She was on the Dean’s List in Fall 24, is an executive board member of the International Student Union, a tour guide, and a video production intern in the Marketing and Communications Department.