Nicole Eley-Carr, 06级

Director of Engagement, Ford Foundation

我是个讲故事的人. 数字的思想家. 公共媒体呆子. 妈妈. 提倡. 千禧年的束缚. 骄傲的HOKIE. 混血女人. 世界公民. 扎根于美国南部.

I mentioned the different layers of my identity above ...

It's these same layers that drive a lot of what I do professionally, working to understand what makes us who we are... 网上赌博网站十大排行的动力是什么?... 激励网上赌博网站十大排行的是什么. And then developing communications & content strategies that engage different communities based on these interests, passions, etc.

I've taken this super power from non-profit organizations to public media and now The Ford Foundation, where I'm focussed on connecting BIG ideas about justice & equity to other foundation leaders, policy makers, and the media. 比如:技术. What if we thought of it as a public good? 比如水或电? Imagine what's possible if there was an entire field of people working to make technology work for all? 这是# PublicInterestTech.

It's humbling and inspiring work!

How Virginia Tech equipped me for the 'real world'...

毫不夸张地说... 把我送出去! I had the privilege of joining a life-changing study abroad program led by Professor Brinberg and Tedesco in Lugano, Switzerland (shout out to Lugano c/o 2K5)! 这几个月, those relationships seeded my interest in digital marketing, 世界旅游, and would later go on to connect me to an incredible non-profit organization, Cardiostart国际, to put my video documentary and marketing skills to work, 跟随一个代表团去秘鲁. An opportunity that I was primed for because The School of Communications opened door after door (thank you Professor Lazenby and Professor Aguilar)... pushing me to go out and tell real stories impacting the Blacksburg community. By the time graduation arrived, I had already been working in the "real world" for quite some time. 感激的.

Best part of being a Virginia Tech alum...
的人! 更不用说... the moment you break into a "Let's Go! Hokies!“唱... when you spot a fellow Hokie at a store, restaurant, church, etc. 能量是无与伦比的!

这是我得到的最好的建议....
保持冷静. 保持你.

A key habit, practice, or skill, that's important for success in my industry...
坚持“为什么”."

If I had a superpower, it would be...
毫无疑问... 飞行! That would make it much easier to see the world.

A cause I'm most passionate about...
Diversity and representation in the media.

Words of encouragement to a current Virginia Tech student...
是大胆的. 大的梦想. 看看你的人际网络. 网上赌博网站十大排行抓住你了!

This excites me the most about the future of my industry...
The legacy we are leaving for future generations: A future that everyone can see themselves in. 一个适合所有人的未来.

Biggest misconception about my job or industry...
Everyone "can do" communications :) That said, I always welcome partners!

The last time I ventured out of my comfort zone...
A "leap of faith" move from New York to North Carolina to prioritize family over career. In hindsight: It was the best decision for both!

我读的最后一本书...
奥克塔维亚·巴特勒的亲戚 ... and I hear there's a TV series coming!

我最喜欢的一句话...
”的转折!" When things don't go according to plan, just yell these two words and move on.