While studying voice under Michael D’Amore, her father, she entered her first televised talent competition in NJ with the “NJN Hispanic Youth Showcase” at the age of 11. This provided her the opportunity to win scholarships for college and by the time she turned 18 yrs old she had achieved her title as a 4 time vocal champion for the television contest. After graduating grammar school she was accepted in to Arts High School of Performing Arts in Newark, NJ where she studied music and voice under the direction of Dr. Jerry Forderhase. In addition to studying music in high school she would also participate in various workshops at the NJPAC studying voice and acting with voice professional Terrence Kennedy and theater professional Christian Ely where she would work on becoming the multi-dimensional artist she aspired to be. As a result of her various training she went on to making several musical theater appearances at the Newark Symphony Hall with independent theater companies such as African Globe Theater Works, Diversity Youth Theater, and several other productions like “Black Nativity” and “Once upon a Motown” which was directed by Lenora Rafua Brazel. At one point during her high school years, her powerful solos and roles at the Newark Symphony Hall earned her praise reports in the Star Ledger’s Entertainment section as “NJ’s Most Talented Female Musical Theater Performer.” In 2004 she became Newark’s first “Newark Idol” which was a Newark Public High School Talent Show that used the “American Idol” theme to offer students the chance to show their talents. Shortly after winning Newark Idol in 2004 she auditioned for American Idol and came in as a Top 30 finalist in 2005 (Season 5). After coming home from her American Idol experience she went on to becoming NAACP ACTSO State winner of Contemporary Vocals in NJ, NJ State recipient of Excellence in Music, to winning 1st Place in Paterson, NJ’s “Black and Gold Idol 2” hosted by Alpha Phi Alpha and placing as one of the top 5 finalists of the “Star Ledger Scholarship” in 2006. After graduating high school Nicole continued giving back to her community, performing at various political and charitable events throughout the New York Metropolitan area. She is currently an annual performer for the African Development Foundation Annual Dinner Event hosted by George Ntim, at the Marriot Marquis in New York City, which has attracted an audience of celebrity athletes to raise money for children in Ghana.