Reflections from a Tom Ford Fellow: Emily Geigh Nichols
Guest post by Emily Geigh Nichols, a 2024-2025 Tom Ford Fellow, B.A. in African and African American Studies with a minor in Theatre and Performance Studies.
During her placement with the T. Howard Foundation in Washington, D.C., Emily explored the intersections of representation, storytelling, and equity, bringing a thoughtful and creative lens to her work. Her experiences have shaped the insights and reflections shared in the report below.
The 2024-25 Ford fellows: Estefanía Acuña Lacarieri (left), Hannah Basali (center), and Emily Geigh Nichols (right).
I am writing to express my deepest gratitude for your generous support in making the Tom Ford Fellowship in Philanthropy possible. As a first-generation, low-income student from Louisiana, I have often struggled with the idea that my dreams were out of reach. For much of my life, I was told that pursuing journalism or a creative path wasn’t realistic, but this fellowship changed that. It opened doors I never thought I’d walk through and made me believe that my voice and vision matter.
Through my placement at the T. Howard Foundation, I was able to work at the intersection of communications, education, and philanthropy. I led major communications initiatives, created national campaigns, conducted interviews with over 50 students, managed a historical alumni archive, and supported strategic events that raised more than $1.3 million in funding. These experiences helped me uncover a passion for storytelling, advocacy, and culture work, ultimately inspiring me to apply to journalism school. What started as a late-night decision just two weeks before deadlines turned into something life-changing: I was accepted to multiple top programs and will begin my master of science in journalism at the University of Southern California this fall. I’m also applying to law school with the dream of becoming both an entertainment journalist and a civil rights/entertainment attorney.
This fellowship has not only transformed my professional direction but also affirmed something far more personal: that my story, my background, and my dreams matter. I’m currently developing a free workbook for first-generation and underrepresented students on how to navigate the graduate school admissions process. This is the kind of resource I wish I had; now, because of your investment in me, I can create it for others. Through my experience in philanthropy, I now understand its power to seed opportunity and ignite transformation. T. Howard Foundation’s commitment to equity and inclusion, especially amid growing challenges to DEI work, showed me what it means to be courageous in the face of shifting tides. Your vision made space for students and recent graduates to be seen, supported, and celebrated.
The Haas Center also provided invaluable mentorship during this time, with Ben and Juaquin guiding me through moments of self-doubt and reflection. They, along with the T. Howard Foundation team, gave me the tools to advocate for myself, believe in my creative gifts, and remain committed to service-driven work. I will carry these lessons with me for the rest of my career.
With deepest appreciation,
Emily Geigh Nichols
