Nichole graduated from the College of William and Mary with a B.A. in English Literature and Early American History. While there, she conducted fieldwork in archaeology and public history at local historical sites and served as a Production Assistant with the Emmy Award-winning Colonial Williamsburg Productions. They went on to pursue post-baccalaureate studies in conservation biology at the University of Maryland, College Park and conducted marine conservation fieldwork in Turks & Caicos.
Nichole served as a Virginia Master Naturalist in the Shenandoah Valley Chapter. She also volunteered with the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) in Front Royal, VA to conduct tours of the conservation breeding facility and assist animal keepers in the avian program.