Ashley Nicolas

Ashley Nicolas
Singapore, Singapore
IG: ashleyy_emilyy
Parents From: Port-au-Prince
My name is Ashley Nicolas. I’m a 26-year-old Haitian-American woman from Philadelphia, PA. I’m a proud first-generation college graduate and engineer, and I currently live in Singapore, where I work for a global pharmaceutical company. Every step I’ve taken has been guided by resilience, ambition, and a desire to create lasting change—not just for myself, but for my family, my community, and the next generation of dreamers.
As the daughter of Haitian immigrants, I carry the weight and wonder of sacrifice. My parents’ strength, hope, and courage are the foundation upon which I’ve built my life. I am walking through doors they never had the chance to knock on, and that is not something I take lightly.
Being a woman in STEM, especially one who is Black and first-generation, has not always been easy. The rooms I enter are not often made with people like me in mind. But I show up anyway—confident, proud, and deeply aware of the impact my presence can have. Through my involvement with the National Society of Black Engineers, I mentor younger students who, like me, are trying to navigate a world that often underestimates