Nicole Dobson is an extraordinary person.  Just five years ago, she sustained a traumatic brain injury and thirteen broken bones when her family’s minivan was hit by a semi-truck.  Nicole spent three weeks in a coma and then had a long recovery during which she had to re-learn how to walk, talk and think.

She has spoken about her experience at the national Conference on Brain Injury in Children and Adolescents and participated in a TBI educational video project.  Nicole finished high school with a nearly straight-A average, taking two AP classes in her senior year and earning the principal’s academic award all four years. She has participated in numerous art programs, exhibiting her photos and paintings.  Nicole also participated in Club Café, helping students with their speech and language skills and raised funds for charities with the Yorktown Gives Back club. 

Today, she is a graduate of Yorktown High School in Virginia and has started her first year at the University of Mary Washington with plans to study linguistics.  Nicole’s career choice is informed by experiences with her own speech therapist who helped give her back her voice.  Her ultimate goal is to inspire and motivate other TBI survivors as she helps them overcome their challenges.