Davis, mother of seven and LCC graduate, recognized
Carol Ann Davis-Submitted Photo
Lenoir Community College graduate Carol Ann Davis of Kinston probably didn’t know what the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA) Program was all about when she decided to go to college, but it didn’t take her long to learn.
She was recently recognized as one of two Outstanding Workforce Development Adult Award recipients at the Eastern Carolina Workforce Development Board, Inc. (ECWDB) Annual Recognition Banquet in New Bern.
The ECWDB administers WIOA, which is a federally funded program designed to help job seekers access employment, education, training, and support services to succeed in the labor market and to match employers with the skilled workers they need to compete in the global economy.
Married and mother of seven children and another little one on the way, Davis was unemployed and her husband worked full-time. She was determined to retrain in a career that will make a difference for her family so she decided to follow her dream of becoming a nurse.
In 2016, Davis was referred to the WIOA Program by a classmate after she was accepted into the LCC Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) Program. WIOA assisted her with tuition, fees, books, uniforms and supplies, mileage reimbursement, graduation cap and gown, and NCLEX and NCBON fees during her WIOA enrollment.
Ika Grant, Career Advisor with the NCWorks Career Center, said Davis encountered several barriers during her educational journey. Juggling her family’s complex schedule of medical appointments, therapies and all the busyness that comes with having a large family that includes a child with special needs was challenging to say the least.
“Nevertheless, Carol maintained mostly A and B averages in her classes,” Grant said. “While in school, she too battled health concerns that required a few surgeries. She also juggled a complex course schedule and homeschooled her children. I would often provide her with additional study materials to help with her subjects.”
Despite all the challenges, Davis persevered and was inducted into Phi Theta Kappa, International Honor Society and made the President’s and Dean’s Lists.
She completed her semesters, 12-hour clinical shifts, and received her Associate in Applied Science degree in Nursing in May 2019. She took the NCLEX and passed. She accepted a job at UNC Lenoir in June 2019 as a new graduate Registered Nurse.
She is responsible for caring for patients from the time they come into the ER, communicating with the physicians, advocating for the patient to ensure the patient receives quality care, listening to her patient/ family members and updating the patient’s family members.
“My husband and I would never have been able to afford the expenses of nursing school without the assistance of the WIOA Program,” Davis said. “Because of this program, we were able to realize my dream of becoming a nurse and helping to provide a brighter future for our growing family.”
