Story #26: Nicole Jain
When Nicole Jain (2010 alumni) walked past the JEP house during her undergraduate years at JEP and saw a “Tutors Needed” sign, she did not know the impact that her involvement and one small decision would impact her career in the future. Now, fifteen years later, we talked to her to understand more about how her involvement with ReadersPlus, our math and literacy program, not only inspired her passion for education and public policy but also ultimately encouraged her to write her own children’s book that will soon be read in many classrooms in Southern California.
“When I first started as a tutor with Readers, I worked mostly on literacy with my students, and quickly realized how important this work was to me. I knew that tutoring was a great job and I loved working one on one with students, but I knew that I wanted to contribute on a broader level. That’s why I not only pursued public policy and political science as a double major, but also furthered my studies while getting my Master’s at Harvard after graduation. I also applied to be part of the ReadersPlus central student staff and was fortunate to get the role as Central Coordinator. I felt very lucky when Tina selected me for the position because I knew that it came with lots of responsibility and opportunities to make a real impact in the program”.
When chatting with Nicole, it was inevitable not to notice how excited she still feels about her time with JEP and at USC. So much so that she keeps in close touch and tries to give back wherever she can. She even travels to campus regularly to work on various projects, like advising Project RISHI student group and mentoring current Trojan students. She also gives back to the schools, collaborating with multiple organizations to make her book about mental health available to as many classrooms as possible. “I hope that I can make the book available to all of the schools JEP works with, because if ReadersPlus has taught me anything it’s that books are a great asset to help kids learn and start important conversations.”
In our interview, I noticed the endless motivation and dedication to the cause that Nicole exudes and had to end our interview asking her how she stays so optimistic and hopeful for our future generations during times in which many feel like that might be impossible. “You know? You just have to connect the dots in your life and surround yourself with people who inspire you. Tina (former supervisor) is one of those people for me. I’ve been lucky to have many mentors like her that keep me grounded and have guided me throughout my career.