Mrs. Nikcole Merritt

Mrs. Merritt has worked as an educator for seven years in multiple districts and capacities. She began her career by earning a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from Illinois State University in 2001. She has educational endorsements in middle school Language Arts, Social Sciences, and French. She also has a current substitute teaching certificate. She began her teaching career as a 7th grade Language Arts teacher in Valley View School District for three years before transitioning to a 5th grade elementary teacher position for two more. At this time Mrs. Merritt decided to focus more on her family and chose to stay home with her newborn son. During this time at home, her love of art blossomed in a fun edible direction as she began her own cake business, Cutie Cakes by Nikcole. She also welcomed her daughter in 2010. Her cake business grew into a full-time position which she has maintained and loved for the last fifteen years. Last year God pulled Mrs. Merritt back into the education field where she welcomed a teacher's aide position here at St. Paul's School working with mostly Kindergarten through 3rd grade. Feeling her love for her students and her passion for education being reignited she chose to accept the art teaching position for the current school year. She has such fond memories of art classes growing up and continuing through college and is excited to share and create these memories with her new students. Art has always been a passion for Mrs. Merritt and has become a medium of expression and joy for herself that she can't wait to see come through her students in so many creative ways.