Alumnae Spotlight
MEP Alumna Nicole Simmons
Academic Interventionist, Detroit Public Schools Community District
Nicole Simmons (right) in 2006 with Amy Amador, MEP’s Executive Director at the time.
“I knew it was a light at the end of the tunnel.”
In 2005, Nicole Simmons was at a crossroads. She was 37, a grandmother, and hadn’t completed high school. In her personal life, she was dealing with so much—her mother had passed away, her son was in trouble, and she had lost her job. It felt overwhelming, and she knew she needed to make a change.
"I decided to come to MEP because I wanted to do something else and I knew I was kind of stuck without a diploma," Nicole says. “When you came into the door from the parking lot there was a sign that said, 'Where do you see yourself in 20 years?' My answer was 'Further than I am now.'"
Despite the challenges and her fears, Nicole persevered. The support of her MEP math teacher and the one-on-one attention were invaluable. Not only was her teacher there to help her understand the material, but he made her feel like she mattered.
Nicole earned her GED in 2006. She went on to earn a BA from Marygrove College, then a master’s at UD Mercy and a law degree. She didn’t take the bar “because I woke up one day and realized that’s not what I wanted to do.”
While she was completing her master’s degree, Nicole took a job with YouthLink, a program spearheaded by Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan to help teenagers and young adults with job placement. Working in Hamtramck, she was moved to tears to be working with kids who were “so grateful to be there” despite bare bones’ conditions like milk crates for chairs. That’s when Nicole began to see that the need for educational support was much greater than what she knew, and her passion came into focus.
Today, Nicole is dedicated to helping students succeed just as she was helped. She works in the Detroit Public Schools Community District, where she helps students who struggle with reading in her role as an Academic Interventionist with a specialization in Orton-Gillingham, a multisensory phonics technique.
Nicole still stays in touch with Sister Maureen Mulcrone and others from her MEP days and comes back to share her story with other women, encouraging them to see what they can achieve and letting them know it’s never too late to change their path.
Nicole is rightly proud of all she’s achieved, and says, “MEP was a great contributing factor… I felt the presence of the Lord in that place and not being judged. I knew it was a light at the end of the tunnel.”
When asked what advice she would give those considering MEP and furthering their education, she shared this wisdom: “You have to do what you need to do for you. You can't worry about what others think about you, worry about yourself. Put yourself first and others second and you’ll be just fine.”
“At some point, you’ve got to know what you want and need to do and do it. That’s it, that’s all.”
Here at MEP, we’re proud to have played a role in shaping Nicole’s future, and we’re inspired by her work to make our community stronger.
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