Scheller-brate Love: Michelle and Victoria Dean Build a Life and a Business Together

Michelle and Victoria Dean’s love story is one rooted in friendship, support, and a lot of love. Michelle, Full-time MBA ‘19, and Victoria, Full-time MBA and M.S. in Environmental Engineering ‘20, first met while enrolled at Scheller. When exactly did they meet? Well, it depends on who you ask.

“I was an MBA ambassador during my time at Scheller and how Victoria tells it, we met when I led a classroom visit before she joined the program,” said Michelle. “I can't remember that at all, but I do remember meeting her at an MBA recruiting event in 2018 before she enrolled. I was excited to meet prospective Black students in the hopes of increasing enrollment but never would have guessed we would end up here.”

“Here” is married, living in Seattle, and owning a business together (more on that in a bit). While the pair didn’t start dating until they graduated from the Scheller MBA program, their shared experiences brought them closer together.

“Though we didn't start dating until we both graduated from the program, we had a shared understanding of each other's professional goals and life direction and were aligned on investing in our futures by way of attaining an MBA. Since we had the chance to be friends for a while before we started dating, we also got to have a ton of fun together in the program, traveling to South Africa for our International Practicum, having a shared friend group, and attending some of the same events in Atlanta,” said Michelle.

Victoria credits their International Practicum trip to South Africa as an important part of her individual journey and eventually, their love story.

“My favorite part of my Scheller experience was that it gave me the space to explore who I am, what I care about, and what I'm capable of. The International Practicum in South Africa was a highlight in this self-exploration and ironically where me and Michelle's friendship grew deeper,” said Victoria.

Since graduating, the couple has moved four times across three states and have traveled to nine countries together. After moving to Seattle, Michelle and Victoria got engaged in 2022 and were married the following year.

“I don't think either of us saw marriage in the cards when we first met, but I knew I'd at least found a lifelong friend,” said Victoria. “I'm grateful that we managed to find each other when we did and that we're continuing to create new memories and milestones. Shout out to Scheller for recruiting students that are not only academically accomplished but also have amazing personalities and are a lot of fun.”

“I think my Scheller experience elevated my life in every facet,” said Michelle. “The education, mentorship, and network provided me a path for accelerating my career. The experiences in practicums and my internship reinforced my confidence in my abilities. Traveling the world with my classmates created core memories and developed cultural competencies that I wouldn't exchange for anything. And most importantly, I left the program with a best friend who would go on to become my partner in life. I'm grateful.”