Michelle Culp

4th Grade Math, Science, and Social Studies Teacher

For Michelle Culp, teaching is more than a career—it’s a reflection of God’s faithfulness in her life. Her journey to Heritage Christian School has been shaped by challenges, redemption, and a calling to invest in young lives, just as others once invested in her.

A Life-Changing Journey

Michelle grew up outside of Philadelphia in a Christian home, but as a middle schooler, she struggled to fully understand who she was. “Instead of being myself, I often found myself trying to fit in and be ‘cool’ in the eyes of my peers,” she recalls. While faith was always present in her upbringing, it wasn’t until she was sixteen that she truly encountered the love of Christ in a personal way.

That year, her world was shaken when two of her closest friends were killed in a car accident just minutes after dropping her off at home. “The loss devastated my friend group and shook my entire school,” she says. Overwhelmed by grief, she spiraled into depression and anger, searching for something—anything—to make her feel whole again. “I turned to everything except God,” she admits.

Her parents, seeing the direction her life was taking, made the difficult decision to send her to a Christian boarding school in Indiana. “They didn’t even tell me where we were going. They just packed the car and drove the 12 longest hours of my life,” she remembers. Though she resisted at first, it was there that she met Tiffany, the girls’ dorm director, who became an unexpected mentor and a source of unwavering support.

“She believed in me, encouraged me, and showed me the love of Jesus in a way I had never experienced before,” Michelle shares. Through that mentorship, she realized that the only thing she hadn’t tried to fill the emptiness in her heart was a genuine relationship with Christ. “That year, I gave my life to Christ. From that moment on, everything shifted.”

A Passion for Helping Others

Transformed by her experience, Michelle excelled in her program, graduated high school a year early, and was entrusted with the role of Dorm Captain—the first in nearly eight years—helping to lead the girls’ dorm. After graduation, she took a gap year to participate in Youth With A Mission (YWAM), a missionary training program that took her to Hawaii, England, and South Africa before she returned home to begin college.

During her sophomore year at IUPUI, Tiffany reached out with a new opportunity: helping launch a residential program for teenage girls facing difficult circumstances. Michelle initially joined as an intern, but by her junior year, she became full-time staff. “It was a home-based program, which meant I lived alongside the girls—helping them navigate school, daily life, and challenging family situations,” she explains.

Her experiences confirmed what she already felt—God had placed a calling on her life to invest in young people. While working in the program, she studied elementary education at IUPUI, knowing that she wanted to serve students in an even broader capacity.

Finding Her Place at Heritage

Heritage Christian has been part of her husband’s story—he and his siblings attended HCS, and, incredibly, he had even gone to the same boarding school as Michelle six years before she did. Tiffany and her husband introduced the two, and as Michelle says, “The rest is history!”

Now, Michelle and her husband have three children, all of whom attend Heritage, alongside all of their cousins from her husband’s side of the family. Even more incredibly, her entire family has moved from Pennsylvania to Indiana over the past five years. “Looking back, I can see God’s faithfulness woven through every chapter of my life. His provision, love, and grace continue to amaze me.”

At Heritage, Michelle teaches 4th grade math, science, and social studies, but what she values most isn’t just the subjects she teaches—it’s the relationships she builds along the way. “I love, love, love building relationships with my students and their families,” she says. “I also adore the people I work with. Heritage has such a great community of employees.”

Outside of school, Michelle stays busy with her three children. She enjoys spending time with her family and being part of the Heritage community—not just as a teacher, but as a parent as well.

As she reflects on the path that led her here, Michelle is grateful for the people who poured into her life and for the opportunity to do the same for her students. “I consider it a privilege to walk alongside them as they grow in both knowledge and faith.”