Stories are what connect us, and help us understand one another. Having grown up in Northern Virginia, Nicole Cummings was exposed to diverse backgrounds, cultures and walks of life. Her fascination with learning about others, whether it be their background or what makes them different from her, is what drives her passion for visual storytelling. 

As a multimedia storyteller, Nicole has been using photography, film and writing techniques to tell authentic, visually captivating and inspiring stories, with the only goal being to build understanding and compassion around people’s unique experiences. 

Though Nicole’s journalism background laid the foundation that shaped her love for storytelling, she craved more creative freedom. After obtaining her multimedia journalism degree from Virginia Tech, her desire to learn the visual techniques behind storytelling led her to pursue a Master’s degree in Multimedia, Photography and Design from Syracuse University. 

For nearly a decade, she has used media as a catalyst for mental health awareness and cultural inclusivity. Able to relate to her story subjects, she aims to connect viewers to the experiences she portrays in her art, hoping that they too will be able to see some of themselves. 

Moreover, a significant portion of Nicole’s undergraduate research involved analyzing the impact of a given story medium on the audience that receives it. This knowledge is what drives Nicole to use various forms of media, as opposed to specializing in just one form. She finds the most beauty in merging multiple forms of media to tell the most visually compelling and emotionally gripping stories.