This week, we are excited to share the inspiring success story of Lucilla Willingham,
APRN, FNP-BC. Lucilla was a guest speaker at last year’s Hats Off to Women event,
where she moved the audience with her journey and achievements. If you weren’t able to
attend, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Keep reading to learn more about Lucilla’s
incredible success story and view her vision board.Hello WACs community: Recently, I took a moment to reflect on my career journey and the incredible impact that WACS has had on my life. I am overflowing with gratitude for being a part of such a remarkable organization that has paved the way for ambitious and determined women seeking to advance their careers and education. After my experience with WACS, I felt an unstoppable drive to continue my education, especially knowing that my youngest boys were watching closely. Since then, my life has taken a remarkable shift—we relocated to my home state of Connecticut, welcomed a new addition to our family, became homeowners, and I am now embarking on a new career path. Today, I stand proud as a Neurosurgery Nurse Practitioner at Yale New Haven Hospital. I attribute my success to the unwavering support of God, the empowering community of WACS, and the incredible networks of people who have lifted me up along the way. My greatest challenge has been the recent loss of my Mother, who motivated me to move forward in my studies. Despite the pain and sorrow, I have found purpose in continuing to help others in honor of her. If there's one piece of advice I can share with other women looking to advance their education and become part of a vibrant community like WACS, it would be this: "It takes a village." Every connection you make, the mentorship, and most importantly, every ounce of belief and manifestation matters. Don't be afraid to push beyond your limits. Discover the strength within you, rise above any challenges, and unleash your full potential. Remember, you are capable of achieving greatness beyond your wildest dreams.
PS. (I attached my 2014 vision board I made during WACS Life Skills meeting)
Best,
Lucilla Willingham APRN, FNP-BC
We are now one week away from Hats Off to Women. Thank you to all the inspiring
WACS Graduates who allowed up to share their stories. Next week we will share the
success story of this year's guest speaker...so make sure you are following us on all social
media to stay updated!
Help us congratulate Heather on her success by heading over to our social media and leaving a comment!
#WACSWomenWednesday
We’ve been sharing the inspiring journeys of WACS Scholars in the weeks leading up to Hats Off to Women. With the event just two weeks away, we are excited to continue spotlighting the remarkable accomplishments of our graduates. This week, we are proud to feature Heather McCall, a May 2022 graduate, whose story reflects the strength and success of the WACS program.
It’s #WACSWomenWednesday, and today we tip our hat to Dorienne Williams, a 2017 WACS graduate as we look ahead to Hats off To Women on October 8th!
We’re excited to share our fourth success story leading up to Hats Off to Women! This week, we’re highlighting a WACS Scholar who just celebrated a huge milestone, graduating in May 2025 from Ultimate Medical College with her associate degree in science. She’s now setting her sights on completing billing and coding certifications and stepping into a supervisory role at work.
The countdown is on, only 35 days until Hats Off to Women! This week, we’re sharing the inspiring journey of Jordan, a 2022 WACS Scholar. We’re so grateful for the incredible support our WACS Scholars have received on social media. Keep reading to see Jordan’s Success Story.
“God is within her, she will not fail” (Ps 46:5)
My name is Patricia Flores and I have 2 beautiful daughters, Emily who is 11 years old and Allison who is 5 years. My story is not different from many others.
I married very young. In fact, I was 17. I had my first daughter, Emily, when I was 18. Not only was I very young, but I was also away from my family and my friends.
Before Emily turned 2 years old, I enrolled in the adult education classes to obtain my GED. While I was taking classes to get my GED, I found information that changed my life.
"Becoming a nurse...Whew! I want to start off by saying this journey has been by far the hardest but the most rewarding journey I have ever endured. I remember asking myself how would I go back to school, work, and be able to still be involved in my children's activities. I was only able to get here today by the Grace and Mercy of God. He carried me through the times I didn't even think I would be able to move past. Leaning on God, my family, my friends and the WACS staff helped me be able to make my dreams and goals a reality. I remember watching my kids’ games via FaceTime while on break during a class, just so they could hear my voice in the crowd. I remember taking my books and laptop to plenty of games and vacations. At this very moment every bit of that was necessary to get here today. I want to tell anyone who ever doubts you can do something such as going back to school or whatever it maybe you can do it. It may not always be good days but the end result will make you truly grateful for the process. I finished nursing school with making A's and B's in all of my classes and I must say I am super proud of myself. The WACS program took some much pressure off my life some days and I will never ever be able to thank them enough, but again THANK YOU!!!!! To other nursing majors on this journey, remember you may not pass every class on the first try but never let that determine anything about your process. Do the work to get back on track. Study hard and always remain focused on the end goal. You may have to take a couple detours, because I had plenty - including not passing a med surgical class after losing my grandmother in my last semester. Life will happen but don't let it drown you. My future as of now is me working as a nurse for a Gastroenterology surgeon and also working PRN at a Rehab Hospital. I do plan on going back to get my RN/BSN, but right now I am enjoying this accomplishment. Always remembering I can do anything for a season."
