Alumni Spotlight: Nicole Ketcham Scalessa '97

"Elmira College provides the opportunities and skills needed to put your degree to work. I felt more prepared to enter the workforce after graduation than many of my peers from other schools. The opportunity to put into practice what you learn in the classroom is unprecedented at Elmira College if you are willing to do the work."

Nicole Ketcham Scalessa '97, who has had a lifelong love for libraries, always knew she wanted to work for either a cultural or educational institution. She chose Elmira College because the community had a school spirit and a sense of pride that was infectious. This, coupled with the supportive and dedicated faculty, made it feel like home the moment she walked onto campus.

During her time as an undergraduate student, Nicole was inspired by the many opportunities for hands-on learning and being encouraged to apply these learning opportunities in real-time. She notes that the work-study opportunities in the library and archives, combined with internships at world-renowned cultural institutions, inspired her career path. Nicole was a part of many activities on campus, such as cheerleading, precision line, student government, and stage manager for the production, "Wally's Cafe." She also started a scholarship newsletter to inform students of educational funding opportunities at EC.

Nicole's fondest memories of EC are the many traditions that instilled a sense of pride and community across the entire campus. She shares that EC prepared her as a professional through term studies that allowed her to explore new courses of study, fulfill internships, and to participate in independent studies. She notes that working in the College archives, as a docent at the Elmira Historical Society, and at an internship through the Corning Museum of Glass paved the way for her summer internship at The Library Company of Philadelphia. With these real-life opportunities, Nicole was hired full-time by the Library Company after graduating.

Nicole worked at the Library Company of Philadelphia for twenty-two years, moving up from library assistant to a chief information officer. She earned a certification in graphic design and an MBA in IT Management. She has served as communications director for Historians Against Slavery since 2010 and as a Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collections Libraries board member for the past two years. She currently serves as vice president of the Center for Knit and Crochet, is the co-founder of the Philly Regional Islandora User Group (recently renamed the Mid-Atlantic Islandora Network), and is a Digital Public Library of America Community Representative. Nicole also has provided freelance web and graphic design for organizations such as the Society of Historians of the Early American Republic, McNeil Center for Early American Studies, and the Association of Caribbean Historians.

Nicole's advice to prospective students is, "Elmira College provides the opportunities and skills needed to put your degree to work. I felt more prepared to enter the workforce after graduation than many of my peers from other schools. The opportunity to put into practice what you learn in the classroom is unprecedented at Elmira College if you are willing to do the work."