If you have not already been blown away by Wes Bellamy and Whitney Bullock, allow us to introduce Nicole Carter! Nicole has just ended her time as an undergraduate at James Madison University with a Bachelor’s degree in English, and is set to finish her final year at JMU (as part of a five year Master’s program) and will receive her Master’s in Education next spring. Not bad, eh?

Nicole knew at a young age that she wanted to teach and motivate young men and women in the same way many of her teachers motivated her to gain a great education for herself. In her own words, “I knew for myself that I wanted to go to college and knew right away I wanted to be in the education field because of my love for children and the desire to inspire them to learn and become successful individuals.”

With a significant degree of leadership experience and a distinct passion for community service, Ms. Carter’s contribution to the Charlottesville-Albemarle community will go beyond the classroom. She has served as the Special Visitation Co-Chair for Students for Minority Outreach for four years (at JMU) and continues to serve as the treasurer for Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Also very impressive is the fact that this aspiring educator has been helping young students as a substitute teacher in the Caroline County public school system for the past three years (and counting!).  In addition, Nicole has had an impact on her peers through her work as a tutor for JMU’s Mercy House After School Program (the Mercy House serves as a transitional home for displaced families) as well as the university’s athletics department. Furthermore (if you can believe this young woman has managed to do even more!) she has given back to the residents of Harrisonburg through volunteer work with the Table of Brotherhood Soup Kitchen, Generations Crossing (a daycare facility for elderly citizens), and Our Community Place, a community home for those in need.

Nicole will become a formal educator in August /2012, ideally teaching English to high school students. We cannot wait to see what she will accomplish and the legacy she will create for herself as a leader in education and in her community.