Her Story
About Nicole
My career in higher education began immediately after I graduated from high school in 1995, when I started working in the financial aid office at Eastern Arizona College. Since then, I've pretty much always worked at a college or university. I've been with Grand Canyon Education for 18 years now, and I've been in my current role as a University Development Counselor for the past 5 years. In this role, I focus on navigating the higher education system to help students enroll in college, find the right path for them, and finance their education. I'm passionate about building relationships and finding areas of opportunity in different areas of higher education. What I'm most proud of professionally is the reputation that I've built - this is not an easy company to work for just anybody, so the fact that I've been able to remain at this company for so long is a testament to my hard work and dedication.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Nicole
01What do you attribute your success to?
Honestly, I attribute my success to the grace of God and hard work. The reputation I've built over my career is something I'm really proud of. This is not an easy company to work for just anybody, so the fact that I've been able to remain at this company for so long is a testament to my hard work and dedication.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say be open-minded about the types of positions and organizations you might want to work for. And make sure that you're presenting yourself in a good way, you know, when it comes to appearance as well as your speech and interaction with other people. It's important to consider all your options and how you present yourself professionally.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think the biggest challenge right now is just that the perception of higher education has changed. There are so many other ways to get additional training now, which is great. The trades are big, and the traditional path of going to college and living on campus might not necessarily be the first thing that somebody thinks of anymore. So that can be challenging if you're working in a place that doesn't have trade programs. But I think that can also be an opportunity, because it's opened up more avenues for people to go to school, which means it's opened up different types of positions in the field.
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