Collections by Michelle Brown WSG Marseille Allen

Raised on Detroit’s west side, Marseille always saw community service as a part of life, an example set by her parents who were both youth missionaries. So, it was no surprise to friends and family when she selected Wellesley College in Massachusetts after graduating with its belief that every woman can—and should—make a meaningful contribution to her world.

After graduating she served as the assistant to the Majority Counsel for the Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee under the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy. After September 11th, she followed her supervisor to the Center for Community Change, and then later relocated to Korea to teach English. Upon her return to the United States, she served as a truancy officer until joining the Michigan Department of Corrections.

In 2013 while supervising US military Veterans on Felony probation, she co-founded the Oakland County Combat Veterans Treatment Court, one of two combat-only courts in the country. Later she founded the Warriors Trust Fund a nonprofit agency developed to provide support, guidance and financial assistance for participants in the Oakland County Combat Veterans Treatment Court.Marseille moved to Flint, Michigan at what some might consider the worst possible time, shortly before the news of the Flint water crisis broke. She did not cut and run instead she started delivering water to help residents, she also entered and won $10,000 in a GoFundMe contest for her cause. Beyond the headlines, Marseille not only continues to serve the people of Flint but is committed to being there for the long haul as the effects of lead poising will go on long after the pipes are replaced and the water is flowing. It will affect families for generations.

Besides talking about Flint, Marseille will share how attending an all-women’s college, Wellesley, its philosophy and continued support has shaped her life and work