Michele Faehnle ’99
Nursing
Michele Faehnle graduated from Franciscan University with a nursing degree in 1999.
She was born in Chicago and raised in Northwest Indiana. She and her husband Matt reside in Columbus with their four children. Her favorite hobby is sourdough baking.
She is currently works as a school nurse at St. Andrew School in Upper Arlington, OH. She is also the school nurse advisor for the office of catholic Schools in the Columbus diocese. She is the co-chair of the Columbus Catholic Women’s Conference (CCWC). Together with her friend Emily Jaminet, Faehnle has authored four books intended specifically for Catholic women, on topics including Divine Mercy and prayer. She and Jaminet also host of the CCWC’s bi-weekly podcast, “Inspired by Faith.”
Faehnle’s parents where heavily involved in the Catholic charismatic movement, and Franciscan was the natural choice for her when it came time to choose a college. When asked how Franciscan prepared her for her career, she responded saying, “The nursing program is excellent.” She said she received a great education, which made her feel especially prepared to go to work as a nurse full-time immediately after graduating.
Faehnle still sees the benefits of household life and maintains several friendships from her household. She is also grateful for the spiritual formation she received at Franciscan which helped prepare her for her current roles as an author and conference director.
Faehnle encouraged students to take advantage of the various spiritual enrichments offered by the University. Even if one opportunity or event does not seem particularly appealing, at least investigate it and see it as an investment into spiritual health.
She also emphasized the importance of building a network of Franciscan Students and keeping up with it in the years after graduation. She said doing this was essential to her success in her ventures with the Women’s conference.
