A Glimpse At Nicole Marcellino

By: Emily Levine

 

Nicole Marcellino’s father believed that she would never make it as a journalist, giving her the strength and courage to pursue the career she always dreamed of. 

Marcellino grew up in Queens, NY with her mother, with whom she is very close with.  “Growing up in an area with so many different types of people is something I’m grateful I was able to have,” said Marcellino.

She switched schools four times as a kid and ended up living in Orange County, NY. “I moved around a lot so that helped me get used to being okay on my own and forced me to be strong at all times,” said Marcellino. Nicole describes living in Queens as a family reunion because she lived in close proximity to all of her family members. She loves to be around family. Marcellino’s favorite restaurant in the area is Lenny’s, in Howard Beach, NY., where her father lived while she was growing up. “It is a very authentic Italian and seafood restaurant that is owned by friends of my family,” Marcellino explained. She described it as just about as Italian as you can get. 

Nicole’s father worked for many years as the director of a drug outreach center in Brooklyn, NY and is currently retired and living in Costa Rica. Marcellino was made aware of her fathers change of residency the day he got on the plane. “He called me while I was on my way to work and said he was in the airport, his house was finally finished, and that he was moving to Costa Rica and would talk to me in two months when his cable was set up,” Marcellino said. 

Marcellino’s father made it clear to her that he would not pay for college unless she was going to become a doctor or lawyer. He told her she changes her mind too often and that she could not be a journalist. Nicole explained that what pushed her to follow her desires most was her fathers doubt and criticism.

An important hidden talent of Marcellino’s is fashion. She loves doing her makeup and is good at it as well, her face transforms in seconds into her personal canvas. She loves making and designing clothes as well. In high school, Marcellino took a fashion class that she fell in love with. In the class they would critique grammy outfits and write stories about them. She decided while taking this class that she wanted to be a journalist. Marcellino aspires to be a magazine editor or work for E! news. Another talent of hers is the violin, she played from 5th to 9th grade in several competitions and won many awards. 

Some of Marcellino’s passions include reading, especially online articles and keeping up with social media. Not only does Marcellino enjoy standard social media but she is most interested in the different articles and breaking news found on certain websites. Marcellino is constantly interested in what is going on around her, she also enjoys giving advice. Marcellino feels as if she ended up exactly where she’s supposed to be. Nicole said: “I always saw myself at a big school, in greek life, and pursuing my goals as a writer.” 

Marcellino’s biggest influence is her mother. She has always been there to push her. She is a single mother who raised her on her own and she is the person that made Nicole who she is today. Marcellino refers to her mother as her “biggest fan.”

Marcellino’s biggest motivation is the fear of failure. She wants to be successful in every way possible, she’s constantly trying to prove her fathers harsh doubtfulness wrong. A constant goal in the back of Nicole’s mind is getting a successful career once graduated in the media industry for journalism and living in Manhattan. Marcellino is a smart and intuitive young woman who is currently fixated on all of her goals as an aspiring journalist.