Born in Gainesville, Florida, Michele's childhood was spent constantly moving due to her father's Navy career, traveling everywhere from Virginia to Japan. Eschewing the usual career path of most actors, Michele earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior from the University of California, Davis. Besides academia, Michele became an avid snowboarder and active in Hapkido, a street-style martial art that blends Aikido and Tae Kwon Do.After moving across country yet again to Boston, Michele started traveling down to New York City two or three times a week for auditions and acting training. After landing roles in several independent films, Michele came back to California, signed with a manager and soon landed her first television role as a surgical intern on Untold Stories of the ER (2004).