Take a moment to get to know Michael Frizell, Director, Student Learning Services, here at Missouri State. Michael is a great resource for your student so encourage them to meet him, and utilize the resources he offers.
Tell us about yourself. I moved to Cherryvale, Kansas, halfway through fourth grade, leaving East Brunswick, New Jersey—a densely packed state where I could see the NYC skyline from the beach. So yeah, I’m a Yankee. Cherryvale was a shock. My graduating class had just 49 people, and there were cows. Actual cows, roaming near the school. I’d only ever seen them in a Philly Zoo. I was terrified. I’d have nightmares about a Big Mac on legs jumping the fence to chase me. The place was nothing but fields, grass, and jumpy bugs. I went from a bustling, connected state to… Cherryvale. I’ve been here since 1986.
My son and his family, my stepdaughter, my brother and his family, and my mother live in Springfield. Adding my two MA degrees from MSU (I received my MFA from the University of Arkansas in Monticello) with the degrees earned by my wife (BA, MA), stepdaughter (BS, MS), son (BS), and daughter-in-law (BS, MS), we owe a lot to the school – and obviously believe in its mission.
You’ve had a long career and family relationship with Missouri State. What led you here? College isn’t for everyone, and it’s expensive. I wanted to join the Navy, like my dad. After a long chat with a recruiter—who promised me a cool gig writing for the armed forces newspaper—he asked if I had any medical conditions. When I mentioned asthma, the call ended fast.
At the time, I was working odd jobs at the Shelton’s house for $5 an hour. One day, Gayleen Shelton asked if I was going to college. I told her I’d halfheartedly applied to a few places, including Pittsburg State, Wichita State, KU, and the School of the Ozarks (S of O). She made a call, and I was in.
Four years later, I had a BA in theatre, 40 plays, three commercials, and no idea what was next. I even turned down a full ride to the American Musical and Dramatic Academy—it just didn’t feel right. Instead, I acted regionally, danced Cajun-style at malls and Silver Dollar City, dabbled in stand-up, and performed for eight seasons at Shepherd of the Hills Homestead. Along the way, I drove Ducks, gave winery tours (and got buzzed daily because I didn’t know I could swap wine for juice), and auditioned nonstop.
Tired of the hustle, I went back to school for a master’s in theatre. That led to a miserable admissions job at a proprietary college—the kind that advertises during Judge Judy. In a panic, I visited Dr. Jane Hoogestraat at MSU with my transcript. She helped me figure out I had enough Shakespeare classes for an English major. I earned an MA in Creative Writing and was hired here 25 years ago.
Now, my wife, stepdaughter, and son are all MSU alums with degrees ranging from English to Global Studies and Chemistry. We owe a lot to Missouri State!
You are the Director of Student Learning Services. This includes the Writing Center. What is your role in helping our students be successful at Missouri State? What is the Writing Center? I hire and train Peer-Assisted Study Session (PASS) Leaders, who run group sessions to help students master tough material and improve their grades—all while making learning fun.
I also manage MSU’s Writing and Presentation Center, where we help students, staff, and faculty improve their writing and communication skills. Our consultants provide tailored support for writing across all subjects and public speaking, knowing these skills are crucial for academic and career success.
Additionally, the Presentation Center focuses on enhancing communication skills for students in COM 115 through one-on-one consultations and workshops led by peer consultants and professionals. Our support service is open to everyone – undergraduates, graduates, staff, and faculty. Whether they need assistance with academic papers, creative writing, speeches, presentations, or preparing articles for publication, we’re here to support them every step of the way.
I also serve as editor of The Learning Assistance Review, a peer-reviewed journal for the International College Learning Center Association.
You also teach classes here. Tell us about what you teach and why you feel that is important. Teaching, like performing, demands presence, adaptability, and passion. There are moments, even now, where I stand before a class and think, “I don’t know what I’m doing,” but I smile—because I know this is exactly where I’m supposed to be.
I strive to empower my students, guiding them to explore beyond the classroom. Writing is hard. Performing is harder. Both require vulnerability and the willingness to embrace failure. My goal is to create a safe, welcoming environment where failure isn’t the end, but a moment of growth. I see myself as a facilitator and mentor, fostering a space where students feel heard, supported, and inspired.
Gone are the days of the “sage on the stage.” Effective teaching is about recognizing the collective intelligence in the room. By engaging with my students, I learn as much from them as they do from me. I reject the notion that “those who can’t, teach.” Instead, I believe that those who teach must continuously hone their craft. By publishing scripts, writing articles, and working with local theatre groups, I stay connected to the art that inspired me to become a teacher.
Stepping away from academics for a bit, you have a vigorous career writing comic books about famous people who are popular in the current day and age. Can you tell us about this? Marvel and DC Comics, the “big two” of superhero comics and the ones most people associate with comic books have a statement on their site that reads something like, “If you’re good enough, we’ll find you.” I think I got lucky. Publisher Darren Davis, owner and creator of TidalWave Comics, reached out to me and asked if I’d be interested in writing biography comic books about famous (or infamous) politicians, musicians, actors, and public figures. Many of those are chosen by the publisher, while others are commissioned by the subjects or requested by retailers. That work led to writing fiction books in the superhero, horror, and science fiction genres. I’ve been writing comic books for 14 years. You can find my work on Amazon.
Have you ever had anyone very upset about the way you have portrayed them in one of your comic books? How did you handle that? Once. Stormy Daniels (don’t Google her at work) was unhappy with a biography comic written by another author working for my publisher, so my publisher asked me to work with her to fix the script. She was so happy that we pitched her a fiction comic, Stormy Daniels: Space Force, a PG-13 Star Trek parody with a healthy dose of politics thrown in for fun. It’s been running for several years, and I’ve even had the chance to sign special edition issues with Stormy at an event in Indiana. She was genuine, funny, and supportive of the work.
What else have you written? I’ve written editorials and articles about academic support, short stories, creative nonfiction, blogs, plays, and even poetry (but I do not claim to be a good poet).
How do you balance teaching, overseeing the Writing Center, creating content for books, being a leader in professional organizations and family life? What tips would you share with family members reading this on how to find the work/life balance, if that really exists? Much of my “balance” comes from my years as an actor. I’m a whiz at time management. I don’t waste a moment. I’m in my office about 6 a.m. every morning, and I write for two or three hours until my staff arrives. Some of what I write is worthless, but I save everything to use later. I’ve been doing that since the 90s when I was writing comic material for Branson productions.
Part of the reason I write so much is that I can’t help it. I’m compelled to write. Since I was a kid, this need to create consumed my days and nights. I wrote on myself, my clothes, on notebooks, and well-loved science fiction paperbacks I kept in my back pocket. I even corrected improper grammar on the bathroom walls. Creative careers are challenging, and one should only seek to do them if they feel they have no choice. In my case, my career happened while I was making plans to be a famous author! It’s not work if you love it.
If you’re a student reading this – let’s talk. I can connect you to Academic Coaches to help you learn not to waste time, organize, and work smarter, not harder.
Of all the things you do, what is the most satisfying and why? Running my portion of the learning center is the most rewarding. Not only do I employ some of MSU’s best and brightest, but I also get to see the “lightbulb” moments and tears of gratification when a student struggling with a challenging subject finally gets it. It’s amazing.
What advice do you have for students to be successful at Missouri State? You don’t learn in a vacuum.
In my first year of teaching at Missouri State, a freshman in my class declared he wanted to be a famous actor and saw everything else—gen ed classes, clubs, even dating—as a “waste of time.” He focused solely on acting, took every acting class he could for two years, then moved to LA. After dozens of auditions with no success, a casting agent told him he was talented but lacked life experience. His performances felt hollow because he hadn’t lived enough to bring depth to his characters. He came back and got involved. He’s a lawyer now.
Take advantage of every support service and opportunity MSU throws your way. Don’t stay in your dorm room, isolated. Get to know your professors. Find the right tutor or consultant to assist you. Work in groups. Join student organizations. Become a part of the campus and surrounding community. You never know where those things will lead.
What advice do you have for family members to help their student be successful at Missouri State? As a first-generation college student, I struggled. I wasn’t content with my majors, jobs, or even performing. Not everyone thrives in college at 18. Despite 4.0’s in my BSED (unfinished), two MA’s, and an MFA, my BA was a struggle—a 3.0 with an “F” in Spanish (56%).
At College of the Ozarks, I needed 8 language credits. French didn’t stick—I was enamored with the girl I met at SOAR who sat beside me and got a “C.” German, which sounded like angry Klingons, earned me B’s. And Spanish? All I remember are dirty words and pickup lines. That 56% took everything I had.
After failing, I dropped out for a semester, worked at McDonald’s, and returned. When asked if I’d retake Spanish, I said no. That “F” stays—it humbled me. To every grad program that questioned me, I replied, “I worked hard for that 56%. It reminds me nothing comes easy.” They always accepted it.
My parents didn’t know how to help. They had no baseline understanding of the rigors of college. My best advice? Listen. Let them rant. But when they’re done, urge them to remember that every choice they’ve ever made has led them to this moment. Challenge them to have the temerity to use the help provided by the school and assure them that they can do it!