Introduction:
My name is Nicole Edgerton (pronouns: she/her/hers and they/them/theirs), and I am a born-and-raised Midwesterner, avid reader, lifelong student of intersectional feminism, and lover of cats, astrology, and coffee (in no particular order). As an Ohioan, I have been an unofficial Buckeye all my life, but my status was officialized in 2015 when I began my undergraduate education here, and I have never looked back! My education in History and Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies have been integral to my understanding of myself and the world around me. I have always felt deeply passionate about social justice, but as an OPEEP alumnus and now Program Coordinator I also have a concerted interest in issues relating specifically to incarceration. I am very excited to utilize my past experiences, education, and passions in this new role with OPEEP!
Geographic Background:
I grew up in the small, rural town of Wooster, OH, located about 90 minutes NE of Columbus. Wooster’s population is ~90% white and most residents are staunchly Christian and conservative. The town is small but wealthy, so growing up in a working-class family often felt alienating, and this deeply informed my political consciousness from a young age. My family was non-traditional in more ways than one, and the ostracization I faced in childhood often kept me from seeing these attributes as potential sources of strength rather than weaknesses. Moving to Columbus, attending college, and finding community amongst like-minded folks with similar experiences was an enormous social and political milestone for me (and probably the reason why I haven’t left since!).
Educational Background:
I received my BA in History and Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies from the Ohio State University in 2019, and my MA in Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies also from the Ohio State University in 2021.
Interest in working with incarcerated populations:
My initial interest in working with incarcerated populations arose somewhat organically as I navigated various structures of oppression in my personal life and then studied them during my undergraduate and graduate education. In the fall of 2018, I took a class with OPEEP Co-Director Dr. Mary Thomas on the juvenile justice system, which really opened my eyes to the historic and current oppressive nature of incarceration in the U.S. I began to see just how deeply carceral logic runs through all facets of our society, and the disproportionate harm this causes to Black and brown, Indigenous, low-income, disabled, and LGBTQ+ communities. In the spring of 2019, I had the opportunity to take an OPEEP course titled “Feminist Perspectives of Incarceration in the U.S.,” also taught by Dr. Thomas, which helped me to better understand the ways in which all struggles for liberation are inherently tied together, and how education can be a powerful, revolutionary tool in the fight against injustice. Given these interests and experiences, I was absolutely thrilled at the opportunity to become involved with OPEEP again!
Most looking forward to in this new role:
I am most looking forward to playing a key role in OPEEP’s expansion as the project evolves and begins to offer more educational opportunities to more students over time. I strongly believe that access to quality education is indeed a right, not just a privilege, and I am very eager to get to work collaborating with everyone at OPEEP making that a reality for justice-involved folks in Ohio. The OPEEP course I took during college was truly one of the most transformational experiences of my life, and I am very excited to be a part of that journey for many others to come!