A Degree to Further Her Life’s Purpose
“I now walk around with a sense of pride that I didn’t know I had lost…. I look forward to living out my purpose, and I know I will, because I have a support system behind me that will not allow me to fail.”
Sally Thomas has already changed the world. One of PowHERful’s current mature scholars, Sally came to the realization that “I was on this earth to help people heal.” For twenty years she provided hands-on care to patients as a Certified Nursing Assistant, a job she found “genuinely humbling, it makes you appreciate others.” Now, as a PowHERful Scholar, she’s earning a degree as an RN (Registered Nurse), a qualification that will allow her to go even further in her calling.
“PowHERful rekindled the possibility of pursuing my education. I had given up on returning to school and was resigned that I would continue to juggle multiple jobs and exist. Honestly, that was what I was doing: I was existing. Meeting Soledad and learning about the foundation truly was a dream come true. That sounds incredibly cheesy, but that is precisely what it was.”
“PowHERful has been the catalyst I needed to jumpstart my education goals. It is such a gift to be able to pursue an education. I’m now in my third year of nursing school, and I walk around with a sense of pride that I didn’t know I had lost. The foundation has helped me through COVID, and through many highs and lows. I look forward to living out my purpose, and I know I will, because I have a support system behind me that will not allow me to fail.”
In Sally’s freshman year of high school, she and her mother, with the help of an older brother, a church minister, moved in order to distance themselves from her father’s ongoing addictions and abusive behavior. “It was challenging to pack up and leave my friends and start at a new school, but it was the biggest blessing to our lives.”
Sally’s mother was her role model: despite the multiple life challenges in leaving a destructive marriage and raising her children as a single mother, she never lost her vision of what she might do, or the will to pursue it. “My mother returned to school in her 50s and got her master’s degree in teaching. She always told me, ‘It’s never too late, Sally.’ Watching my mom go through her master's program on top of being a single parent—while working three jobs—showed me that the possibilities are endless if you have the drive and determination.” Speaking of the moment she received her letter of acceptance to nursing school, Sally says, “I will never be able to find the right words to capture the way I felt that day. It’s a feeling everyone should experience in their lifetime.”
Going back to school was in fact quite daunting. “Returning to school after almost twenty years, I was riddled with insecurity. I felt my brain wasn’t working fast enough. It wasn’t until I sat down and took a moment to look at things that I realized I was not in competition with anyone. I love school, and I love the fact that I am blessed to be back in school pursuing my nursing degree.”
Sally’s oldest brother, Pastor C.L. Thomas, is a constant source of inspiration and an ongoing support. He has multiple degrees including a Ph.D. and an addiction counseling certificate, and is always striving to see what he can accomplish next. “I have watched him pull a small church out of the mire and grow it into something miraculous and life-changing. My brother has been my biggest champion, and he always tells me, ‘Sally, you would be doing the world a disservice by not making your mark.’
Nursing is not for the faint of heart! During the worst part of the COVID pandemic, Sally was faced with a gang confrontation: “I was working on a mobile health unit doing vaccinations and caring for the homeless population. There was an incident between some rival drug dealers, and I was used as a body shield by one of them.
“I was punched in the face and a gun was drawn. At the moment, my only concern was to de-escalate, to talk to the individual with a firearm and remove them from the family with small children at our table. Only I and one EMT remained outside, with these three guys determined to finish things, the other man standing behind me, holding onto my scrubs for dear life. At that moment I was unafraid. I didn’t care that he had a gun, I only cared about doing my job. I could talk sense to the three of them, and they left but still circled our table on their bikes until the police arrived. After it was all over, the adrenaline wore off, and I realized I could have lost my life over a drug dispute.”
Sally confirms, “I am a nurturer at my core and believe it is a blessing to serve others in their time of need. There’s something compelling about being able to bring comfort to someone when they are going through the most challenging times in their lives, emotionally or physically.”
Even as a child, Sally was always trying to help. She remembers, “My granny adopted a baby girl with down syndrome and named her Kimberly. I grew up with Kim, and she was the big sister I never had. I never saw her as different or handicapped in any way. I was always overly protective of her, and any time my granny needed help with Kim, I was the first person she called. I believe having Kim in my life helped mold my values and showed me a level of compassion most people don’t experience in their lifetime. Because of this, I feel I am drawn to anyone with any disability. It takes me back to my fond memories of childhood and growing up with Kim, and it keeps her spirit alive in me.”
Sally’s care and compassion extends well beyond her profession. She’s passionate about volunteering and spends much of her free time helping in the community. “I volunteer with an outreach program through my church, Roosevelt Freeport Church of Christ [where Sally’s brother is the pastor]. We offer free meals and household supplies for families in need every Saturday, and when school starts, we have a back-to-school drive and hand out backpacks filled with school supplies for families in need.” She reflects, “It is gratifying to be able to reach out and help. You never know how you will be able to bless someone’s life.”