Nevaeh Nichols, a Class of ‘22 Tucker County High School graduate, currently attending Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, returned home for the summer to complete an internship with the Tucker Community Foundation (TCF). Nevaeh received the Kep and Alice Smith Scholarship from TCF in 2022 and will continue to do so until 2026. She said, “it was not hard choosing the Foundation for my placement. I know all the amazing things they have done and continue to do, and I want to be a part of something as dedicated as the Foundation one day.”
Throughout high school, Nevaeh was involved in multiple aspects of the community. Much of her high school experience was devoted to volunteer work with the Girl Scouts and Mountain Top Senior Center, as she plans to dedicate her future career and life to public service. “I hope that one day I can not only bring positive change to the places in the world that need it most but also give back to the community that has done so much for me,” Nevaeh stated.
In addition to her community service during her time at Tucker County High School, Nevaeh was a triathlete, participating in varsity basketball, volleyball, and track, and spoke for the student body as a student council representative and class vice president. She was also a member of the National Honors Society and Davis & Elkins Upward Bound Program, which introduced her to the Leadership Enterprise of a Diverse America (LEDA). Nevaeh was one of 100 first-generation, low-income students nationwide to be selected by LEDA to become a scholar and participate in their program. With the advice, guidance, and support from LEDA, Nevaeh was admitted into prestigious universities that rank among the best in the world, including but not limited to Stanford University, Brown University, and Yale University. After serious consideration, she decided that Stanford was the only place she could call her home away from home.
Nevaeh remains just as active in the Stanford community as a member of Kappa Alpha Theta, Fashion X, the Outdoor Outreach Program, the Alt Protein Project, Cap & Gown, Stanford Women in Law (SWIL), and the Stanford Pre-Law Society. While Nevaeh has yet to declare her major at Stanford, she plans to major in Earth Systems under the Human Environmental Systems track or in International Relations with a primary specialization in Economic Development and the World Economy and a secondary specialization in Social Development and Human Well-Being. She also wants to minor in Public Policy and Spanish. Towards the end of her undergraduate career, she is considering applying for a coterminal degree program to receive her master’s degree in International Policy in only one additional year or applying for law school at Stanford or Yale to earn a Juris Doctor.
Throughout her journey she has received generous support from those around her, but the Foundation remains a critical financial support system for her to achieve her dreams. “As a first-generation, low-income student from rural WV, I never imagined I would be able to attend a university like Stanford. Fortunately, scholarships I have received, such as the scholarship from the Foundation, have given me a chance to be exactly where I want and belong to be. I will forever be grateful for all the Foundation does for our small community, and I’m so glad that I have the opportunity to work with them this summer,” Nevaeh said.
After college, Nevaeh plans to work internationally with government agencies and non-profit organizations on international policy, sustainability, education equity, and human rights. After seeing the rest of the world, she hopes to return to Tucker County and work for a non-profit organization to bring positive change to our small community.