Jesse Nicholson, class of 2003 and voted the class clown, is the youngest child of Pegi and Bill Nicholson. He found a connection in art classes with Paul Brissette and Chris Baer, an architectural drafting class with Mr. Lobdell, as well as Island natural history with Mr. Schwabe. What he did not know then is that these courses laid the foundation for his passions in art and nature, and served as building blocks for his future profession.
As a relative of the Island McCarthys, teaching came naturally, and after high school, Jesse enrolled at Castleton State College, majoring in elementary education. After one year at CSC, he did not know what he wanted to do — as he told me, “I was trying to figure out who I was.”
He moved to San Diego to live with his brother Jared, and worked as a mason’s tender. Returning to the Island after a year, he enrolled at Bridgewater State to complete his general education requirements.
After some time, he left BSU, and worked for his brother Caleb, co-owner of Contemporary Landscapes. Caleb, who had attended the Stockbridge School of Agriculture, saw Jesse’s potential and passion for landscapes, mentored him, and guided him toward applying and receiving an associate’s degree in landscape construction from Stockbridge.
He then applied to UMass Amherst to study environmental design. Aha, now things began to click from those early art, drafting, and science classes at MVRHS. During this time, Caleb introduced him to Michael Van Valkenburgh for an internship at his landscape architecture firm. This internship and his mentors encouraged Jesse to enroll in a masters’ program in landscape architecture at Cornell University.
After graduation, Jesse was offered a full-time position at Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA) in Cambridge. He has been there since 2010, and is now an associate principal. Jesse gives credit to growing up in a family of educators, a caring stepmother and siblings, a fabulous wife and two kids, and living on Martha’s Vineyard. His passion for the land and sea began on Martha’s Vineyard. It evolved and influenced him to collaborate and create resilient landscapes across North America. Jesse is passionate about making public places that connect people to nature
What a story of a young man connecting his family and our Island with his profession and giving back to all of us. Thanks, Jesse — you make us so very proud!
Marge Harris was a teacher at MVRHS for 27 years. You can contact her at margeharris@comcast.net. This column appears twice a month.
