Staff Spotlight – Nicole Ash, Learning Center Teacher

Nicole Ash started working for Ohio Valley Voices in 2009. “Fresh out of college,” as she puts it. She hadn’t heard of OVV until she was contacted by Maria to do an interview. But after learning about the center from Maria and Molly, she knew it was where she wanted to be.

Nicole’s first position was with Janice Bunton in the Family Center. There, she became acquainted with OVV and enjoyed teaching the toddlers and seeing the progress they made. At the end of the first year, she expressed interest in moving to the Learning Center to work with school-aged children. It just so happened that the Learning Center teacher was leaving, so Nicole was able to fill her position.

At the Learning Center, Nicole focuses on teaching the children academics and language development through play and fun experiences. She goes out of her way to encourage them to understand how amazing they are.  “I want them to be proud of who they are and the things they accomplish,” she says.

She also works one-on-one with OVV children to help them achieve specific goals. One in particular, Emmarie Varner, made it her goal to read by the end of the year. “Emmarie worked hard every day and she accomplished her goal before the year was over. After every book she reads, she has the biggest smile on her face. She is so proud of herself.” 

Moments like these are why Nicole loves working at OVV. “We all invest so much of ourselves into every child because we want the absolute best for them. My favorite part is watching those ‘lightbulb’ moments happen and the way their faces light up!”

Nicole and her family

Nicole, who grew up in Cincinnati, earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Cincinnati, and later her Masters in Curriculum and Instruction. She has been married to her wonderful husband Christ for eight years. Together they have two daughters—Olivia, age 4, and Madelyn, age 2—and a black lab named Jack. For fun, Nicole enjoys going to UC football games with Chris and her friends and to the zoo with her girls. She also loves shopping at Target.

Nicole’s personal motto is simple: “Have courage and be kind. I try to teach the children at the Learning Center to have the courage to step outside of their comfort zone and go after their dreams. Have the courage to stand up for what they believe in. Have courage to be themselves. I also try to teach them to be kind to everyone they meet because it will make the world a much better place.”

Nicole embodies both courage and kindness—and every day she passes those virtues on to the children of OVV.

Donate

SUPPORT US AND CHANGE THE LIFE
OF A CHILD TODAY!