Michelle Krusiec

Born to Taiwanese parents on October 2, 1974, Michelle Krusiec was sent to the United States at age 5 to live with her adoptive parents, her Taiwanese aunt and Caucasian American uncle, in Virginia Beach, VA, so her mother could better cope with her two brothers. In Taiwan, she is better known by her Chinese name, Yang Ya-Huei, with Yang being her biological father's surname.

Michelle, who speaks English and Mandarin Chinese as a second language, began formal training at the Virginia Governor's Magnet School for the Arts and graduated with a Theater and English Degree from Virginia Tech University in 1995. Michelle, who has traveled around the world, also completed additional studies on scholarships
at Oxford. Her interests include Asian cultures, African dance and world music.


In her spare time, Michelle enjoys taking dance classes in everything from ballet to hip-hop. She is also an "extreme sports" enthusiast who enjoys hang-gliding and snowboarding.