Michelle Hopkins Lawrence

Michelle Hopkins Lawrence first fell in love with the study of history as a sixth grader when she read a biography of Elizabeth I. In high school it was her favorite subject. She majored in history within the Classics Department at Princeton University where she focused on the history of the ancient Middle East. She continued her graduate studies in Classics at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Studying Greek and Latin allowed her to read the primary source documents in the original languages for her bachelor’s and master’s theses.

In 1990, Ms. Lawrence began her teaching career at a girls’ school in Virginia where she quickly came to love the learning environment of a boarding school.  Over the years she has taught numerous history courses including U.S. History and Western Civilization in addition to teaching Latin. After teaching in many different types of schools including a boys school in Boston, she yearned to return to a girls school. When the opportunity to teach history at Salem Academy arrived, it was a dream come true for her.  In addition to teaching history, Ms. Lawrence teaches Model U.N. and Debate, and she sponsors Girl Up.

Ms. Lawrence was born and raised in Washington D.C. She moved with her husband in 2004 to Winston-Salem which has become their adopted home. Her son is a college student in Charlotte, and her daughter is a student at Salem Academy.