Nouvelle Stubbs Gonzalo, Esq. '01: Across Borders and Conversations

An Education That Opened Doors

At the Elms, teachers recognized Nouvelle’s curiosity and created opportunities to match it.

During her junior year, she was encouraged to apply to serve as a U.S. Congressional Page in the House of Representatives, an experience that exposed her to leadership and policy at a national level.

More importantly, it showed her she belonged in those spaces.

At the Elms, opportunities are not simply offered. They are created.

Learning to Lead

While her academic path was developing, Nouvelle was also learning how to lead.

She remembers noticing classmates who were sometimes left out, shaping her understanding of leadership as responsibility rather than authority.

To include.
To encourage.
To acknowledge others.

Today, those instincts guide her work. She asks the questions that matter:

Who should be in this room?
Who will be impacted by this decision?

Finding Her Voice

Through Speech and Debate and theatre, Nouvelle developed the confidence and presence that define her leadership today.

A National Champion in Prose and Poetry, she learned how to communicate with clarity and purpose—skills she now uses on global stages and national platforms, including Bloomberg Business.

A Career with Purpose

Nouvelle went on to earn degrees from New York University and The Ohio State University, with additional study at Oxford.

Today, as Founder and Managing Member of Gonzalo Law, she leads a firm serving businesses and nonprofits across the United States and internationally.

Her approach remains grounded:

She listens.
She asks better questions.
She leads with clarity and purpose.

Developing Women Leaders

Nouvelle’s story is about more than a career.

It is about confidence built early.
A voice developed over time.
A commitment to leading with purpose.

At Our Lady of the Elms School, this is not by chance.

Students are challenged, supported, and encouraged to lead.

And like Nouvelle, they leave ready to do just that.