Michele Davis

Superhero name: Night Hawk
Superpower: Storyteller
Slogan: Bravery begins with “yes”

Meet Michele Davis:

Growing up in the pine-needled Black Hills of South Dakota, just twenty minutes from Mount Rushmore, Michele Davis spent much time outside hiking, skiing, boating, bike riding, and spending time with family and friends. She earned her Bachelor's in English and Political Science from the University of South Dakota and her Master's in Education from the University of New England; she has been teaching high school and middle school English for over twenty-six years and says it rarely feels like a job because she loves it so much....

Being parents to siblings soon turned into becoming parents of their children as well. Their son, Carter, was born in 1999, and their daughter, Greta, was born in 2008. Tragedy struck on August 1, 2016, when Carter and his friend Natalie were murdered…simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Michele did not let grief rule her; she went back to teaching three weeks after this horrific loss. She created the Carter’s Boxcar Race, an 8th Grade Capstone Project in honor of Carter’s goal of becoming an engineer, Carter’s Memorial Lacrosse Pick-up Game, honoring Carter’s passion for lacrosse, Warrior Moms: Surviving Child Loss podcast, downloaded in 39 countries, and helped write and edit Grieve like a Mother; Survive like a Warrior, a book with fourteen firsthand accounts of child loss, focusing on survival strategies.

From Heavenly signs to feeling connected to her son Carter, Michele periodically shares stories about Carter and grief with her students. She wrote a poem for her son, Carter, at a writing retreat and asked a student, Slater Nalley, who is a singer/songwriter for advice on how to turn a poem into a song. Slater snapped a photo of the poem and two weeks later, surprised her with a completed song, “Traces of You.” American Idol discovered Slater on TikTok and invited him to try out. He and Michele were interviewed by American Idol, including by Ryan Seacrest, and Michele even introduced Slater’s performance directly to Lionel Ritchie, Carrie Underwood, and Luke Bryan! Receiving the Golden Ticket, Slater competed in American Idol, singing the song he wrote in memory of Carter. Michele, Jeremy, Greta, and extended family and friends are so grateful for this priceless gift.

Throughout her grief, Michele’s superpower slogan has become “Bravely Say Yes”, and she lives to honor both sorrow and joy, heartache and happiness, and despair and hope.

Photo Gallery

Click any image for a larger view and a short description.

Loosing Carter caused the world to shatter like the view in a kaleidoscope, but we will carry on his wish…We will find vibrant joy and add more love as he did.

Michele and Carter’s classmate, Slater Nalley, who is a singer/songwriter and turned a poem Michele wrote into a song, called , “Traces of You.” He and Michele were interviewed by American Idol where he later received the Golden Ticket and competed in American Idol, singing the song he wrote in memory of Carter.

Carter had started putting Bible verses on the inside of his helmet before his lacrosse games. This was the last verse he had, and now these words carry me on dark days, pushing me to believe that “’I can do all things through Christ which strengthened me” (Philippians 4:13).

My sister Melanie made a wishing box for visitors to add hope for the future. Luckily, Skye (my niece and Carter’s best friend) wrote her wish alongside Carter’s. Carter’s wish was for the world to have more love, not for a fast car or to be signed by a D1 lacrosse program but a hope for more love…to soften the sharp edges with empathy and kindness.

One of the most beautiful places in the world to me is Sylvan Lake and the Needles Highway in the Black Hills of South Dakota, just twenty minutes from where I grew up. This was the hike where Carter, my 17-year-old son, my sister, my niece, and I spent our last time together.

Podcast Episodes

Below are episodes of the Warrior Mom’s podcast featuring Michele Davis:

Michele's Videos

Slater Nalley's Emotional American Idol Audition

Michele's Writings:

Written at a Bard Writing Retreat, Sept. 2023 at the Lovett School:

The Daedalus Curse is Mine

I wonder where I made Daedalus’ error,

Where had I crashed through a wall meant to keep me still,

What was my flaw that melted over feathers despite my fearless solution?

I, too, have cried my son’s name without a returning sound,

I, too, chatter like the partridge and get stuck in my muddy mire,

Yet, I cackle with joy that even though the wings failed,

Icarus is still Daedulus’ son, and Carter is still mine.

Epilogue
Didn’t know I’d go to a cathartic place with my trembling pen in hand…I hadn’t been able to write since Carter gained his wings, but this story broke through my silence, a blindness to the beauty I might find in the swirling sorrow. I’m now realizing one’s blindness can give sight to those thrashing in the waves.

We invite you to download a copy of Michele’s sermon that was read at Lovett School’s chapel service in 2024.
It shares a message of honesty about grief, love for those who seek the light and find hope even in the midst of sorrow.

PS, remember you can listen to it on the podcast, too; it’s listed a little higher up on this page!

After I wrote the poem above, something spurred me to write a song about Carter, a song that could be for anyone alive or dead that one wishes they still were in their life. I imagined how we all search for traces of those loved ones. Slater Nalley took a picture of and two weeks later had written a gorgeous song. What a priceless gift; we will be forever grateful!

Traces of You

Wheels turn, and trees blur,
The moon leads my way,
Yellow dashes keep rhythm, keep direction…
Despite being lost in the view,
In thought, in love, searching for traces of you.

Blue eyes, mischief-filled crooked smile, and athletic build,|
Gone too soon, yet the room fills,
With pieces and prizes…
All of you, wishing my thoughts my love could bring more than traces of you.

Stuck in places and spaces, searching for you,
Memories and photos seem frozen in time,
Absent and empty, no new memories with you…
So I’ll keep searching for traces of you.

Chorus idea:
The world keeps turning while I miss you,
Photographs age, and I’ve got nothing new,
Love will push me through as I search for traces of you.

Michele's Links

Connect with Michele