Quincy nurse wins 11th annual JWCC Foundation and WGEM Career Makeover competition

QUINCY — April Spears of Quincy won this year’s JWCC Foundation and WGEM Career Makeover competition. She was selected from a pool of more than 40 applicants to receive a full-tuition scholarship, which includes coverage for books and fees, for a two-year associate degree program at JWCC.

Spears has been a certified nursing assistant for more than 25 years, with most of that time at Quincy’s Good Samaritan Home. She has raised six kids.

In a press release, Spears said, “I lacked the confidence I needed at that time in my life. Now presently working over 25 years as a CNA and also working in merchandising, I have gained confidence that I have worked really hard to achieve. This makeover will change how I want to achieve what I could not do over 20 years ago. It is my time to achieve the goal I wanted so long ago.”

Now that her youngest child graduates in May, Spears says she is ready to earn her college degree.

“I can hear my voice 20 years ago telling myself you’re going to go back,” Spears said. “’You failed it the first two times. You’ve got to get back up. You have to get back up.’ I’ve always believed if you work hard, there is something that you are going to work up to, and I think this is my moment.”

Co-workers say Spears’ strong work ethic will help her succeed in the classroom.

“She’s just absolutely incredible in how hard she works how dedicated she is, not only to Good Samaritan Home but also to her kids and getting them to their events and supporting them,” Katie Bowen with Good Samaritan Home said.

Spears says she plans to stay in healthcare and is looking at biology classes. She says she wants to continue to work at Good Sam.

“Education, it’s got to be. This is not my end. I know there is more out there I need to learn. I want to learn,” she said.

Runners-up to the competition were Samantha Watts and Faith Coburn. Each will receive a $500 JWCC scholarship.

The JWCC Foundation began in 1984 to advance the college’s mission and create educational opportunities through giving. The foundation awards more than $150,000 in private scholarships to JWCC students each year.  It supports multiple programmatic and capital projects for the college.

“This is one more way the JWCC Foundation creates educational opportunities,” said Barbara Dietrich Holthaus, executive director of the JWCC Foundation Board. “We are proud to partner with WGEM to show the power education has to change someone’s life.”

For more information about John Wood Community College, visit jwcc.edu.