SJS Alumni Spotlight – Paige and Matthew Nichols

For Paige and Matthew Nichols, Saint James Catholic School is a family affair. 
 
“We were both raised in Elizabethtown and grew up attending Saint James Catholic School and Church,” Paige said. 
 
They attended SJS from preschool through eighth grade, Paige from 1993-2004 and Matthew from 1996-2007. In addition, all of their siblings and some of their cousins attended the school, and they each have a brother currently in middle school. 
 
Because of that connection, it was important for the Nichols that their children attend as well. They have two daughters, Poppy Charlotte, age 3, and Rosalie, 5 months old. Poppy started preschool in August of this year.
 
“SJS instills faith, discipline and education – in that exact order – with the first two significantly outweighing the last,” they said.
 
Both Paige and Matthew credit the school with helping them succeed. 
 
“SJS education set us up to succeed by creating a foundation of strong work ethic, a clear sense of honesty and integrity, and surrounded us with a support structure that encouraged us to push our limits,” Paige said.
 
Paige currently teaches a Pre-K class at SJS and volunteers for church activities that involve teaching, in addition to taking care of her daughters. Matthew is in his last year of medical school at the University of Louisville, pursuing a career in ophthalmology. 
 
“I’m thankful for Sister Michael Marie and the discipline she instilled while I was a student at SJS. I appreciate that more now that I have two daughters and want them to have that same discipline while at school as well as at home,” Matthew said. 
 
“SJS has a very special place in my heart,” Paige said. “After my sister died in 2001, the school and Sister Michael Marie were a stronghold for me. That is the kind of love and support you get when you are part of such a close community.”