Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts (JAWM) recently welcomed Nicole Baltazar as its new Education Pathways Director. In this role, she will oversee traditional, experiential, and entrepreneurial learning experiences, guiding their alignment with JAWM’s mission and objectives to meet the needs of our community.

Nicole’s responsibilities will include a particular emphasis on stakeholder engagement, especially coordinating volunteer and educational partners. This will involve recruiting, training, supporting, and recognizing these valuable contributors. Additionally, she will manage administrative programming procedures to uphold quality standards for the organization, ensuring adherence to program models and evaluating impact to deliver high-quality educational experiences.

“I’m thrilled that Nicole has joined our team,” said Amie Miarecki, JAWM president. “She comes with more than 20 years of experience in the field of early education and care, is a strong advocate for youth, and enjoys mentoring and coaching.”

Baltazar is Director 1 & 2 Qualified through the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s University Without Walls Program, with a concentration in early education and administration.

In her previous role, Baltazar served as the center director for the Valley Opportunity Council (VOC) in partnership with the Holyoke Public Schools, Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative.