Nicole and her sister Natali both graduated from the Ohio State University! First, Nicole finished with her BA in 2019, and then Nicole and Natali graduated together in 2021 (Natali with her BA and Nicole with her MA).
Here's Nicole with their adorable kitty cat, Jasper!
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 backgrounds 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 alum 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 many residents are staunchly Christian and conservative. The town is small but wealthy, so growing up in a working-class family often felt alienating, which 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 a big reason why I haven’t left since!).
Educational Background:
I received my BA in History and Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies in 2019 and MA in Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies in 2021, both from The Ohio State University.
Interest in working with incarcerated populations:
My initial interest in working with incarcerated populations has arisen somewhat organically as I've navigated various structures of oppression in my personal life then sought out theory, resources, and community while in college to help make sense of those experiences. 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 ways in which it targets Black and brown, Indigenous, low-income, disabled, LGBTQ+, and other marginalized communities. In the spring of 2019, I had the opportunity to take one of the first OPEEP courses, titled “Feminist Perspectives of Incarceration in the U.S.” Also taught by Dr. Thomas, this class was by far the most challenging, intellectually stimulating, and transformative experience I had in my undergraduate years at OSU. The course content, carceral environment in which we learned, and the contributions of my peers (both campus-based and incarcerated) all made something abundantly clear to me: all struggles for liberation are inherently tied together, and education can be a powerful, revolutionary tool as we fight for freedom from injustice. Given these coalescing interests and experiences, I was absolutely thrilled at the opportunity to be involved with OPEEP once 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-impacted folks in Ohio. The OPEEP course I took during college was truly one of the most incredible experiences of my life, and I look forward to being a small part of that journey for many others to come!