Nicole Goines
Department of Energy and Environment
Washington, DC USA
"Always think local first."
Career Roadmap
Nicole's work combines: Government, Politics, and Communicating / Sharing Stories
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
Always think local first. Find a civic association local to you that matches whatever cause you want to add your voice to. You can find meetups—whether at City Hall or in a church basement—with people who have the same values as you to get your foot in the door. If you're interested in environmental causes, for example, try finding a meetup that organizes community clean-ups. I also suggest attend meetings with your elected officials.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Associate's Degree
Political Science and Government, General
Montgomery College
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
I’ve had a strong love for helping people and improving my community from a young age.
2.
After high school, I ran for the Advisory Neighborhood Commission, a group of elected officials focused on mitigating hyperlocal issues.
3.
My experience with the Advisory Neighborhood Commission as well as an internship with Congressman Chris Van Hollen gave me great first-hand insight into civic engagement and the legislative process.
4.
I continued to gain government experience through legislative internships, campaign work, and organizing roles.
5.
I eventually joined the Federal City Council, where I worked to improve the District of Columbia through my roles in operations and communications.
6.
After a few years with the Federal City Council, I took on a role as an outreach and services specialist for the Mayor’s Office of Community Relations and Services.
7.
Those experiences in communications and outreach supported my transition to public-facing roles with the Department of Energy and Environment.
8.
I joined the Department of Energy and Environment as a public relations specialist and now work as acting public information officer.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
I can't fail. I need to get this right. What am I doing here?
How I responded:
I sometimes get really in my head with the pressure that I feel to do everything perfectly without failing, especially when I first started out on my public service journey. To this day, I'll still sometimes focus so much on trying not to fail that I actually end up hindering myself. I made a lot of connections during my first role on a campaign who helped bring me out of my shell, mentor me, and give me confidence in my work. I still lean on them for advice when I feel pressure or doubt.