UPPER BURRELL, Pa. -- Penn State New Kensington Advisory Board member Nicole Ziccarelli, sole proprietor of Nicole W. Ziccarelli Esq., will be the principle speaker at the campus' fall commencement ceremony at 10 a.m., Dec. 20, in the Forum Theatre. Forty graduates will receive baccalaureate and associate degrees.
Ziccarelli earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Penn State University Park and a juris doctorate from Penn State Dickinson School of Law. She is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States. After three years as an associate for Dickie, McCamey and Chilcote P.C., and executive vice president and chief legal officer for Kobold Watch Co., Ziccarelli opened her own general practice in 2009. A year later, she put her practice on hold to be the mother of three. She resumed her practice in 2013, specializing in child custody, divorce, general family law and real estate.
During her career hiatus, Ziccarelli’s children nourished her creative side. Cooking for toddlers gave her the idea of sharing her healthy baby recipes. This, in turn, gave birth to the blog, Mediterranean Baby, which features Mediterranean recipes for the whole family -- babies, adolescents and adults.
“I needed a creative outlet to document and share the love I express for my family through food every day,” said Ziccarelli, who is pregnant with her fourth child. “My goal is to inspire you to create Mediterranean meals for your entire family with simple, fresh ingredients.”
In addition to Mediterranean Baby, Ziccarelli keeps her creative writing sharp as a blogger for Image Pittsburgh, a communications platform. She also is a blog ambassador for La Cucina Italian magazine, an online publication of cooking tips.
The White Oak, native joined the New Kensington board in 2013 and serves on the Constitution and By-Laws Committee. Ziccarelli’s previous board experience in higher education included two years on the advisory board of Penn State Greater Allegheny and three years as a student trustee on the Penn State Board of Trustees.
Besides her work for Penn State, Ziccarelli is active in the community. She serves on the board of the Pittsburgh Association for the Education of Young Children. She has held numerous volunteer positions, including tutor for adult learners for the Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council and co-chairwoman of the Greek Fire Relief Benefit.
Ziccarelli resides in Lower Burrell with her husband, Frank, and their three offspring: son Franco, 3, and twin daughters, Melina and Valentina, 2. For more on commencement, visit http://www.nk.psu.edu/academics/graduation.htm.
To view Ziccarelli’s blog, visit http://mediterraneanbaby.com/.