Michelle Lang

Michelle Lang and Meridian schools have history. A 1997 graduate, one of her sons graduated this year, and another that graduated back in 2020. Meridian is Michelle Lang’s vocation. To see the school and community improve and shine is top on her list of goals. And, as a board member, she’s learned that her ideas and those of the others around her are important. These ideas are heard, and while being on the board can be complicated, all members are seen. As to the dynamics of a board meeting, Lang notes, “I felt I could help or put my opinions in. Once you get in that position, you realize that things are not as simple as what you think. So it’s definitely been a learning situation for me.” To never stop learning, to admit we’re never finished, Michelle understands this and lives it.

While her decisions and the decisions of other members directly affect those around them, Lang understands the nuances and difficulties of getting everyone together. “It’s not just cut and dry. It’s never black and white. There’s that gray area, and it stays gray most of the time. When you have several people, it’s a good thing. But it’s also difficult at times, because everybody has their own views and opinions on different aspects of life. But I think everybody works really well together. I think everybody tends to have that same goal, which is the children.” To Michelle and her fellow board members, the children aren’t just the future, they are the now.

What is it about Meridian that makes this place special? Some towns, while admirable in many ways, tend to be divided, with some groups seemingly enjoying advantages that other groups do not. It’s not like that in Meridian, though. Lang, commenting on what makes this place itself, notes, “We don’t have a lot of the cliquish stuff around here. Everybody’s kind of on the same playing field. Everything works better now, because you don’t have so many divides. I think we have people who love and adore the kids and would do anything in the world for them. And that’s the main thing.” It almost sounds like a utopia, where the children are thought of, considered, and ultimately happy. Isn’t that the goal, too? Lang thinks so.

No matter how tight a community is, troubles can arise from time to time, and Meridian is no different. There is always a need for shoulders to cry on, and caring adults to lend an ear. In the end, kids need to have skin in the game, as it were, with their own school and community. When asked about what makes Meridian work well in this aspect, Michelle answers, “I think you see a difference in the kids and the pride they have about things and just the appreciation and the fact that they know that there’re outlets that they can go to when they have problems.” Michelle believes that to be able to go to someone with your problems, rather than internalizing your worries and fears is so important.

Michelle Lang sees Meridian for what it is, even though it goes under the radar for a lot of folks. “We’re just lucky to have what we have here. A lot of people don’t know., they really really don’t appreciate it.” She’s been a clerk at the courthouse for seven years, has seen a lot of things, has worked hard both in and out of the boardroom. When we think of Michelle Lang, we think of being grateful, of working hard, of heeding the vocation’s call. Plus, there’s her utter celebration of diversity and originality when it comes to Meridian and the kids. “You know, normal is just a horrible word, in my book,” she says. “I like ‘unique.’ Everybody has their own something to give.” That might sound like a platitude, and maybe it is, but it’s one that comes alive in Meridian. Normal, whatever that nebulous word might mean, is out. Michelle Lang is there to celebrate its disappearance, and the power that can be harnessed when everyone’s unique skills and talents are recognized and appreciated.