Ms. Nichols earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Master of Science degree in Counseling Psychology from California Baptist University. Ms. Nichols is a Subject Expert Teacher in Visual Arts at BASIS Independent Silicon Valley Lower campus. Her goal is for her students to develop a sense of ownership in their education and character development. She believes that students have a choice in how much they learn and in the person they want to become. What intrigued Ms. Nichols about BASIS Independent Schools is the freedom to tailor the curriculum to the needs of her students. She is free to give the best of herself as an educator and focus on her area of expertise. Ms. Nichols loves debunking the misconception that in order to produce art, students need talent. She believes that talent has very little to do with the creation of “good” art and that art is using skill and play to create. In her class, her students practice skills, observe the skills of other artists, and then play with those skills. She’s noticed that over time students will improve their skills and increase their knowledge, all while having fun doing so. At BASIS Independent Silicon Valley Lower, students thrive on confidence and challenge. In her lessons, Ms. Nichols finds the balance between making work challenging enough to be rewarding, but also not so difficult that it creates discouragement. This teaches students that they can overcome challenges and use their knowledge and skill to have a positive outcome.​​​​‌‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‌​‍​‍​‍​​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍​‍‌‍​‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍‍‌‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌‌​​‍‌‍‌​​‌‌‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‌​‍‌‌​​​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌​​‍‌‍​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌​‍‌​‌‌‍‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‍​‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​​‍​‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍​‍‌‌