As Program Coordinator for the Ohio Prison Education Exchange Project (OPEEP), Nicole (Nikki) Edgerton works closely with OPEEP staff, faculty, and students to provide programmatic and administrative support as the project expands in terms of course offerings, student enrollment, and institutional reach. A two-time graduate of The Ohio State University, Nicole completed their B.A. in History and Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies in 2019 and M.A. in Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies in 2021. Given this specialized academic background, she is a fierce advocate for social justice, and a self-described forever-student of feminism, anti-racism, abolition, and histories of social movements. Nicole is also an OPEEP alum herself, having taken Dr. Mary Thomas' course titled "Feminist Perspectives of Incarceration in the US" at Franklin Medical Center in Spring 2019. The unique stories, perspectives, and experiences Nicole gained while taking this OPEEP course deeply impacted their worldview and furthered their passion for social justice. Nicole's appreciation for teaching and learning grew even deeper in her time as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at OSU and then as a substitute teacher in various central Ohio schools, with both roles deepening her belief in the liberatory power of education. They believe strongly that access to quality education should be a right for everyone, not just the privileged few. OPEEP's work building prison-to-college pathways for justice-involved folks in Ohio feels like a true calling for Nicole, and she is thrilled to be able to utilize her educational background and personal passions every day in service to this mission.

"To educate is the practice of freedom."

- bell hooks, renowned American author, Black feminist activist, and Distinguished Professor in Residence at Berea College