In Professor G Nicholson’s classroom, lessons go far beyond electrical wiring. Each session is about building skills, confidence, and opportunity for the next generation of tradespeople.
An adjunct professor for Germanna’s Electrical program, Professor Nicholson brings decades of hands-on experience to the classroom, guiding students through Levels 1, 2, and 3 of the trade. But beyond wiring and schematics, Professor Nicholson’s lessons spark something deeper: confidence and curiosity.
“I try to help young people who want to become electricians reach their highest potential,” Professor Nicholson says.
Teaching at Germanna feels like coming home. Professor Nicholson first walked the College's halls as a student in 2001, but the foundation of this career was built long before that—across playing fields, military bases, and construction sites.
In 1978, Professor Nicholson left New York for Virginia as one of the first recipients of a Title IX athletic scholarship, playing Division I lacrosse and field hockey at Old Dominion University. “I was a young athlete, happy to get away from home,” Nicholson recalls with a laugh.
After a career-ending injury on the field, military service called—and with it, a lifelong spark. As a U.S. Army power generation mechanic, Professor Nicholson discovered a love for electrical systems.
Once active duty and reserve service concluded, Professor Nicholson entered a state apprenticeship program while working in the Sears battery department—learning the trade from the ground up. That path led to M.C. Dean Electric, where a simple rule guided every job: ask questions, learn everything.
Over the next four decades, Professor Nicholson’s work took shape in wiring, switchgear, and large-scale projects—including several at the National Institutes of Health. One standout memory: serving as foreman on a project that revamped entire wings, built a new penthouse, and upgraded the facility’s electrical backbone.
“It was exciting to be in the thick of it,” Professor Nicholson says. “I even got to meet Dr. Anthony Fauci during one of the projects.”
After retiring as a union electrician, Professor Nicholson was ready to pour into the next generation. Teaching at a local night school became a new kind of work site, and soon, Germanna became home base once again. In 2024, Nicholson began teaching as an adjunct instructor, returning to where the journey first began.
“The students I teach now are between 18 and 23, and they’ve been with me for three semesters,” Professor Nicholson says. “They’re committed, and I look forward to seeing them every week.”
Nicholson’s teaching philosophy is simple but powerful: learn the code, master the craft, and know your worth.
From athlete to soldier, electrician to educator, Professor Nicholson’s journey hums with resilience and purpose. And now, as Germanna students build their own paths forward, Nicholson stands beside them—not just as an instructor, but as living proof that with hard work, passion, and persistence, anyone can find their own current of success.