Jennifer Williams, a resident of Douglas, recently graduated from Ultimate Medical Academy’s Health and Human Services program. Williams had already earned her bachelor’s degree in Sports and Fitness, but she was struggling to enter the healthcare field. She knew that pursuing career training would open new career opportunities for her at work and provide for a better life for her family at home.
“What inspired me to go back to school is I was pregnant with my son and I was actually working at a restaurant,” said Williams. “I knew that I needed to do something to provide a better situation for my son and myself.” While earning her degree at Ultimate Medical Academy, Williams maintained a 4.0 GPA, was on Dean’s List every semester and graduated with Honors.
“In order to provide a better future for her son and herself, Jennifer made a promise to our father that she would graduate with honors,” said Jessica Williams, Jennifer’s sister. But this did not come without challenges. “Unfortunately, our father passed away before he could see Jennifer accomplish her goal,” said Jessica.
She was juggling a full-time job, single motherhood and the passing of her father. Ultimate Medical Academy helped Williams during those trying times, along with her own drive and determination. “[Jennifer] was very, very excited to start classes,” said Tulsie Singh, admission representative at Ultimate Medical Academy. “She was always on top of completing the necessary items to get through the admissions process and her first week of class. She sure did an amazing job. I’m very proud of her that she accomplished her goals that she set out to complete.”
“My advisors were also a great source of information and encouragement,” Williams said. “[They] called every week just to check in. They encouraged me to stick with it—’Don’t falter, you’re going to make it just as long as you keep pressing forward.’” Ultimate Medical Academy President Derek Apanovitch said, “Stories like Jennifer’s are what inspire us to do as much as we can for our students. We want them to succeed at school and in their new careers in healthcare.”
Williams credits Ultimate Medical Academy’s Career Services with helping her refine her interests to find the perfect position. Her Career Services advisors helped Williams secure a direct support professional position with ResCare HomeCare, the nation’s largest private provider of services to people with disabilities. In this role, Williams is responsible for helping clients with intellectual, cognitive, or developmental disabilities achieve their highest level of independence.