Learning while earning her way to the top: Faye Lewis is a case study on resilience

As we celebrate Black History Month, I find myself reflecting on the hard work of my forefathers in paving the way for many opportunities to knock down the walls of inequity in my space.?It is amazing to think that my siblings and I are four generations removed from slavery; three generations from the Jim Crow south; two generations from sharecropping; and one generation from the second Great Migration that saw my parents journeying to Illinois from Mississippi in 1966 in search of a better way of life.

Their strength and resilience remain top-of-mind as I reminisce on all the many long days and nights of working, parenting, and loving us through our mistakes and triumphs. You see, growing up in East St. Louis, Illinois is something that produces a championship DNA. We lived a life that taught us to always get back up and to keep fighting after every mistake, heartache, and challenge. We had no choice as my father is a retired United Auto Worker who worked at General Motors for 30 years while my mother labored as a material handler for a local textile supplier. Their hard work would not be in vain as all of their first-generation college graduates have now earned doctorate degrees and are doing very well in their chosen professions. It gives me peace knowing that our ancestors would be pleased with the generational grit and resilience we’ve all shown over the years.?Simply put, we are their legacy! And there are so many more just like us all over the world. I am honored to be able to tell you about one of them this month.

Meet Faye Lewis

A few weeks ago, while scrolling through my social media accounts, I saw a post that would challenge my notions about what was possible when it comes to overcoming obstacles and beating the odds. It was a post of a friend sharing his sister's success in overcoming adversity to make it to the top of her profession. Meet Faye Lewis, a 32-year-old single mother from the west side of Chicago. Faye now lives in Springfield, Illinois with her 11-year-old son. She serves as the nursing director at the Orthopedic Center of Illinois where she leads a team of 35 healthcare professionals providing support to 14 orthopedic surgeons.

While her career trajectory, industry-recognized credentials, and educational experiences all seem normal and align perfectly with the career pathways narrative, there is a powerful story behind it all. This particular story is one that shines a light on the very essence of resilience and grit. So much so that one of the first things I asked Faye to do in prepping to tell her story was to complete Angela Duckworth's Grit Scale. As Duckworth defines it, grit is?passion and sustained persistence applied toward long-term achievement, with no particular concern for rewards or recognition along the way. It combines resilience, ambition, and self-control to pursue goals that take months, years, or even decades. You will need to keep reading to see how Faye fared on this assessment.

The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree

Faye's parents instilled a positive work ethic in her and her siblings. She started working at KFC during her high school years to earn a few extra bucks and save for college. She knew from the beginning that she wanted to pursue nursing and while she had the ability to earn an academic scholarship, college was expensive. "I chose nursing as a career because I watched my mother work as a nursing assistant, which inspired me to advance in the field of healthcare when given the opportunity" Faye stated. So, after graduating from high school in 2008, she attended Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville seeking to earn admission into their highly selective nursing program. After her freshman year, she was well on her way with a 3.5 GPA and several nursing prerequisites under her belt.

After coming home for the summer, she found herself pregnant, a very difficult situation for a God-fearing young lady who had high aspirations along with the high expectations of her family. As fate would have it, this was something that gave her a new "why" and fueled her work ethic even more. "I was disappointed in myself but determined not to let this define my future in a negative way," Faye would later contend. Faced with the decision on how to continue her education while raising her son, Faye turned to her family and to the Lincoln Land Community College in the fall of 2009.

"Community colleges play a key role in educating nurses: 60 percent of all U.S.-educated RNs who entered the field in 2000 received their education at the associate degree in nursing (ADN) level, and 79 percent of ADN recipients graduated from community colleges."

A goal without a plan is just a wish

The summer before her community college enrollment in the fall of 2009, Faye had a masterplan plan. She thought she could bolster her nursing school application by earning a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) credential. And to do it without incurring debt she would secure a housekeeping job at an assisted living facility. This would qualify her for free tuition at an eight-week intensive program that met 8:30 am to 4:30 pm each day. So by the summer of 2010, after the birth of her son, A.J., she started taking CNA classes during the day while working at KFC in the evenings and working part-time at the assisted living facility on the weekends. She did all of this while caring for a toddler.

It would all pay off as Faye earned her CNA and got some entry-level nursing experience in the assisted living facility. That fall and spring, she would continue nursing prerequisites at the community college while working two jobs and caring for A.J. She would eventually use the CNA credential to secure a role as a Patient Care Technician in the cardiovascular unit at a local hospital in the fall of 2010.

This trend would continue as Faye wanted to move up the nursing career ladder by earning her Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) credential. The CNA would support her admittance into the program. She enrolled at the Capital Area School of Nursing while continuing her courses at the community college. Yes, she continued to work and care for her young child through it all. Again, it would all pay off as Faye earned her LPN credential in 2012. With yet another credential came a new office nursing role in physician services. "At that time, I really enjoyed working on the preventive side of health care and promoting health education with our patients," Faye stated. The other good news was that as an LPN, she was only 33 credit hours away from earning her Associate Degree of Nursing at the Lincoln Land Community College and the right to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination, a requirement to achieving her dream of becoming a Registered Nurse (RN). She would earn this distinction in 2014; and with it, another promotion to the medical/surgical unit at the local hospital. Remember, she was earning while learning while caring for a child.

With the RN in hand, Faye was now only 30 credit hours away from earning her Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. She would earn this distinction in 2016; and with it, yet another promotion at the local hospital. Do you see the pattern? To do this takes incredible dedication and passion. But, wait there's more. Faye did it while experiencing incredible loss along the way.

Overcoming uncommon tragedy and adversity

During her LPN studies, the class president of her cohort suddenly passed away in a vehicle accident. After that, another close friend passed away unexpectedly. But, none of that would compare to the tragedy she would experience one week into her RN program at the community college in 2012 when her father, three cousins, and the family dog passed away in a house fire. She credits her faith in God and the support of her family for her success through it all. "Without God, none of this would have been possible," Faye stated. "During every program, I felt like giving up. But my sister and my mother would always love on me and challenge me to stick with it," Fay continued. "And having A.J. changed everything. I knew I needed to continue to work hard to provide for him." Faye also has fond memories of her faculty and counselors along the way. "I remember having test anxiety after my dad passed and needing the support of the on-campus counseling department. Also, after failing the fourth semester of the ADN program, the faculty were so supportive of me every step of the way." Her resilience would also be tested during her BSN studies as her best friend passed away tragically in another vehicle accident. She also lost some cousins recently during her Master's program. Frankly, it all seems like too much bear for one individual. What I do know is that Faye is surrounded by love and has an abiding hope that emanates from her faith in God. This is a prerequisite for healing that I wish everyone with traumatic histories could experience.

After reading all of this, how well do you think Faye scored on that Grit Scale assessment. Not surprisingly, Faye scored a 4.8 on the 5.0 scale, placing her at the 99% percentile of all respondents, speaking to her impeccable passion and perseverance. It obviously takes an uncommon person to work multiple jobs, while going to school, caring for a young child, and enduring the loss of loved ones along the way. I believe difficult roads lead to beautiful destinations and I can't wait to see what's next for Faye Lewis.

A future nurse educator?

She is expected to finish her MSN in July of this year and to continue her leadership role at the Orthopedic Center of Illinois. Master program. She goes back to visit her LPN and RN programs to mentor and recruit graduates. When asked where her passion will lead her in the future, she responded, "I have learned that I really care about the people who care for the people. Over the years, I have seen firsthand how the lack of continued education and training can impact the quality of care and efficiency in operations." Faye then reflected on a childhood habit she had of lining up her teddy bears and giving each bear paper and instructions. "I can definitely see myself as a nurse educator in the future."

I am truly grateful for having the opportunity to share this profile of courage and grit. When I first learned of the Faye Lewis story, my first thought was the blessing she is to her 11-year-old son, A.J. So, I thought it was fitting to close with one of my favorite poems. Mother to Son is a 1922 poem by Missouri native, Lanston Hughes. The poem is a reminder of life's many hardships and inspiration for the resilience needed to persevere through them.