In Ohio County Schools, we love to do a great #AlumniSpotlight!
Nicola Merriman is a 2013 graduate of Wheeling Park High School and is a former Woodsdale Elementary Tiger and Triadelphia Raider.
Nicola invested much of her time at Park focusing on her creative interests:
“I spent most of my time at WPHS between Ms. Gronell's graphic design classes and Mr. Podolski's Orchestra class. I was part of the Art Club and French Club. I went on all of the music & foreign language trips with Mr. Podolski and Mr. Demarest. I was also part of the National Technical Honor Society. Outside of school, I worked at the Oglebay Good Zoo and took classes at the Stifel Fine Arts Center.”
Nicola credits the arts and her experience at Park for helping her become the artist she is today.
“OCS/WPHS provided so many opportunities within the arts community that may not have otherwise been accessible.”
After graduating Park, Nicola attended Davis & Elkins College graduating with a degree in Art Education.
After several years of not enjoying her profession and dealing with health issues related to such, Nicola took a risk: “In December of 2023, I quit that job and started my own business: Anxiously Thrown. Throwing pottery helped my mental health. While my work may change with time, I felt it was important to honor the relationship that I have with my medium. I was very fortunate to have two videos of my artwork go viral on Tik Tok a month later. Since then, I have a 3-6 month waiting period for my online orders. Now, I get to do what I love every day. Quitting your job to become an artist full time is a terrifying feat, but with a little luck and a lot of hard work I've been able to do it.”
Check out Nicola’s work here!
Website: anxiouslythrown.com
Tik Tok & Instagram handle: @anxiouslythrown
Congratulations on a beautiful change and on adding some creativity and beauty to our world! We wish you luck on all your future endeavors!
#ArtsinOCS #AlumniSpotlight
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