Nicole Fernandez

By nature, Nicole Fernandez is exceptionally organized and detailed-oriented – strengths she refined at Meredith and that are essential in her work today as a consultant for a highly-customized, conservation-focused travel company.

Growing up overseas had a huge impact on Nicole’s life. As the daughter of Cuban-born parents, she was brought up living and traveling between the U.S., Brazil, and Portugal. Nicole grew up attending international schools where multiple cultures and languages were the norm.

Fast forward to her freshman year at Meredith – a time of transition for every college student, but particularly for Nicole as it was also her first year back in the United States. While the change was difficult, Meredith’s small size and welcoming community helped her make the transition successfully.

Like many of our students, Nicole connected with a professor early on who quickly became her mentor. Nicole’s mentor also helped her land an internship documenting the behavior of lemurs. The observation and research skills she developed through her internship continue to come into play today as she creates highly-individualized travel itineraries for her clients.

Her mentor also recommended her for a post-graduate internship in Kenya studying wildlife management and conservation. This experience, which built on her Meredith studies as an environmental science major, laid the foundation for her life’s work.

Nicole explores the world researching unique tourism opportunities for clients. Because she works in an industry that’s continually changing, she also spends much of her time establishing trusting relationship with vendors. Her Meredith experiences taught her to manage tasks, prioritize projects, problem solve, handle stress, responsibility and face challenges – all of which are vital to her professional success and ability to create a strong, satisfying life.