Melody Nichols
I was born and raised in Connecticut.
From 1983 – 1995 I worked at Travelers Insurance Company in Hartford, CT. I began as an Assistant to the Group Pensions area and worked my way over to being an Expense Analyst for the Department. Eventually I started working in the Health and Life Side of the Industry.
During this time I went to College part time at night and eventually started taking acting classes in the New Haven Area. It was at that point I became serious in the acting field and often went on auditions in New York City landing mostly parts in some industrials, commercials and films that were being produced by NYU graduates for their final project.
During my 4 years of acting I became friends with a New York City Casting Director and began going into the city for 2 weeks at a time to work on a major film with her as a Casting Assistant.
In 1995 I quit my corporate job in Connecticut and relocated to New York City and began working fulltime as a Casting Assistant for KEE Casting on major films, TV series and commercials. To name a few films I worked on: First Wives Club, Ransom, Conspiracy Theory, As Good as it Gets, Stepmom, Object of My Affection, Return to Paradise... and many many more. I learned so much!
In January of 2000, and after 5 years of working in the film business 24/7, I decided that it was time to make a change and I began working at Citigroup. I became the Office Manager for Stock Traders on the buy side and eventually managed 4 administrative assistants for the area. During this time I took courses at NYU in their Film/Reporting/Editing Program toward a degree.
I survived 911. Having lived only 14 blocks away from the towers, my experience and story is unforgettable. Many of the traders that I supported were on the phone with traders in the towers at the time it was hit. That day is the longest day I ever lived and the months to follow were not any better. My biggest concern was to get to my apartment to get my dogs.
In 2003 I decided I had enough of New York City and transferred within Citigroup back to Hartford, Connecticut to support Private Placement Traders.
I currently reside in Connecticut happily with my two dogs. Even as a child, I always had animals - Dogs and cats. It was a passion of mine as a child and has grown even larger for me now. All of the animals I have had in my life have been rescues, no matter what age. They have all been special in their own way as well as challenging. No matter where I have lived, my dogs have been with me and always will be.
Melody Nichols
US Adoption Liason
melody@candiinternational.org