There’s a new face in the Williston Northampton Advancement office—and she can’t wait to start meeting Williston’s incredible alumni.
Nicole Lawless joined the Williston staff just in time for Reunion 2024, as the Assistant Director of Alumni Giving & Engagement. In her role, Lawless will focus on the 15 youngest graduating classes, encouraging our young alumni to explore the professional alumni network available to them.
Lawless joins the school after working at Stoneleigh-Burnham School as the Program Manager for Advancement, where she worked with Brittany Weiss ’07. A native of Ludlow, Vermont, Lawless started her career in corporate real estate, before making the decision to switch careers and begin working at private schools.
To help introduce her to everyone, we caught up with Lawless to ask a few pressing questions. Want to reach out and welcome her yourself? Email nlawless@williston.com
Q: Where did you go to high school and college?
A: I went to a public high school in Ludlow, Vermont, called Black River High School, but during the winter I went to a five-month tutorial ski school, so I was able to ski in the mornings and go to school in the evenings. I had a very interesting and unique high school experience. Then I went to Colby Sawyer College and was on the ski team there, and I majored in sports management and business.
Q: What was your introduction to private schools and and what brought you to work at one?
A: In 2021, my husband made a career switch and we found ourselves moving from Boston to Western Mass. I was working part-time remote and still commuting to the city, and I decided I didn’t really want to do corporate real estate anymore. My sister-in-law had been talking about her private institution experience— she grew up on the campus of Holderness and was an alumna, and they moved onto the campus of Kimball Union Academy. Hearing her speak about the community and how the whole lifestyle kind of shaped her was really appealing to me.
Q: You started right before Reunion 2024—what did you think of your first Reunion?
A; First, I’m very impressed by this team. They are extremely organized and put together a very thoughtful experience that seems very tailored to each Reunion year. I also really got the sense that everyone that has crossed paths with this school seems to find it to be a very special place, and it continues to stay as a special place for a lot of people.
Q: What are you looking forward to most about interacting with our young alumni base?
A: I’m looking to hear about how their Williston experience has prepared them for the “real world,” how it set them up for success, and how we can keep them connected, involved, and giving back.