Horizon began when Jim Pesce and Daryl Heller encountered injustice in the orphan-care system, and connected over a shared determination to change it. That groundwork came to life when Jim’s daughter, Nicole Scott (then Pesce), moved from her native Canada to Kenya in 2000 and began operations at our first inherited orphan-care community. From the moment Nicole stepped onto Kenyan soil and moved into her hut, she knew she had found her calling. Though our North American office is in Lancaster, PA, Horizon’s Canadian roots grew in that Kenyan soil, and Nicole watered them during her years in the community.

Pursuing orphan-care excellence truly is a climb, some sections of the trail admittedly more uphill than others. But sometimes, a necessary part of moving forward involves going backward — back to your roots. In a fortunate turn of events, Nicole has returned to stand beneath Horizon’s tree and water its roots as the Canadian Director of Development.

She’s tasked with growing and developing engagement with Horizon in Canada, which is close to home for both Horizon and Nicole, who lives north of Toronto. “Growing Canada has been a topic of heavy consideration for many years,” she says. “Being involved from the genesis of this organization and my many years of living on-site will be helpful as we endeavor to get more people involved.”

Returning to Horizon brings Nicole excitement — “like a kid who has been invited to the ultimate candy store!” — and gratitude for how the organization has grown. “When I was in Kenya, my title was the Kenyan National Director,” she says. “Now our National Directors are Kenyans themselves, and that’s the way it should be …  I’m thrilled we have built a model that empowers the very people living there to lead this mission.” 

In her new role, Nicole will be able to continue the work of empowering orphaned children by empowering Canadians to be world-changers. It’s a task she’s uniquely positioned for, and something she hopes will continue for a long time. 

“I see humanity coming together and understanding purpose, connection and impact in a way that unifies us. I got to be part of the initial heartbeat of this organization, and I hope to continue its pulse until I’m wonderfully old and gray, ready to hand the torch off to the next generation.”