Nicole Stella
Director, GEAR UP ASPIRE Scholars Program

nicole.stella@unlv.edu

Hometown:Monrovia, California

Bio: Nicole has worked at UNLV for over five years in academic advising with the Academic Success Center. After completing her Bachelor’s (Spanish) and Master’s (Educational Leadership) degrees at the University of Nevada, Reno, Nicole worked in residence life at the University of Northern Colorado, and the University of Colorado, Boulder. She has experience working with diverse populations of high-achieving students to support their academic and personal success, particularly in their first year of college. Her academic interests include educational policy and academic underpreparation. Nicole is currently a doctoral student (Higher Education) at UNLV. In her spare time, Nicole enjoys reading, baking, going to concerts, and traveling.

Favorite Quote: “The teacher is of course an artist, but being an artist does not mean that he or she can make the profile, can shape the students. What the educator does in teaching is to make it possible for the students to become themselves.” ― Paulo Freire, We Make the Road by Walking: Conversations on Education and Social Change