Michelle Jones

Michelle Jones, Founder and President of Wayfinding Academy

Michelle Jones, Ph.D. is the founder and president of Wayfinding Academy, a private, alternative college in Portland, Oregon that offers a two-year associate's degree program focused on self-discovery and social impact.123

Jones started Wayfinding Academy in 2015 after spending 15 years as a professor in mainstream higher education.1 She saw growing student frustration with the traditional college system and wanted to create an alternative that flipped the choices, allowing students to explore their passions first before choosing a major.1

The Wayfinding Academy vision centers on creating a small, relational learning community that encourages interaction with the broader community through internships, workshops, travel adventures, and one-on-one mentorship.1 The school was crowdfunded into existence in 2015 through a record-breaking $206,451 Indiegogo campaign.1

In 2022, Wayfinding Academy announced it would be taking a yearlong "organizational rest" to refocus its mission and consider options for the future, including resuming operations, shifting to non-degree education, merging with another organization, or closing.2 Jones cited the school's small size (about a dozen students), staff exhaustion, and a desire to return to its original mission of helping students discover their passions and make an impact as reasons for the pause.2

Despite the temporary closure, Jones remains excited about Wayfinding Academy's potential, saying "It's kind of a nice opportunity to just really reflect deeply and intentionally and have the opportunity to say, 'OK, I've learned a lot for seven years, now what?'"2