Nicole Isaac
Washington, DC USA
"We know that work is gonna change, but I don’t want you to discount or diminish what you bring to the table. A large part of it is just not giving up."
Career Roadmap
Nicole's work combines: Law, Government, and Upholding a Cause and Belief
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
Be an advocate for others. Mentoring and helping people find others to look up to is critical to advancing our workforce and ourselves. Don't underestimate the willingness of people who want to help you. We are now in a new age of learning, so don't put yourself in a box and think there is only way to get a job. Network and be openminded. Be willing to tackle challenges in a variety of ways.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
English Language and Literature, General
Brown University
Bachelor's Degree
African-American/Black Studies
Brown University
Graduate Degree
International Relations and Affairs
Columbia University in the City of New York
Doctorate
Law
University of Pennsylvania
Graduate Degree
International Human Rights
University of Oxford
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
Born and raised in the housing projects in the Bronx, New York; my parents were both immigrants—my mother is Jamaican and my father is Costa Rican.
2.
I attended a private school on a scholarship—made me realize the impact location can have on access to opportunities and sparked my desire to change the reality of neighborhoods like mine.
3.
Attended Brown University, where I earned a bachelor’s degree in English and African-American studies.
4.
Then I earned my master’s degree in international relations from Columbia University and my law degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
5.
I’ve worked in law in New York City, Geneva, Paris, and South Africa with the goal of understanding the ways in which human rights abroad mirror the civil rights issues in the U.S.
6.
Worked in government for over 10 years—five years were spent on Capitol Hill and the other five years were spent working in the White House for President Obama.
7.
I am also a nonprofit founder and have served as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University and the University of Pennsylvania.
8.
Currently, I work as the director of North American policy for LinkedIn where I utilize data to solve workforce development challenges, develop policy, and expand government engagement.
Defining Moments
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I grew up in the middle of the drug wars in the Bronx during the 1980s. It was a particularly violent time to live in that area and I grew up knowing that the people there (including myself) had less opportunities compared to everyone else.
My parents are both immigrants and I grew up having a pretty typical first-generation experience. My advantage was getting a scholarship to attend a private school which afforded me opportunities others like me didn't have.