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Elicia Wilson ’08 is Chief Administrative Officer for the nonprofit organization, National Fund for Workforce Solutions, Inc.
Elicia Wilson '08: Pursuing goals, moving the needle
Sep 22, 2018, by Staff Writer
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Before Bryant, Elicia Wilson ’08 couldn’t imagine her future path to success.

“Nobody grows up wanting to be in workforce development,” she observes. Her experiences at the University, however, helped her find a way to make a difference. Now, as Chief Administrative Officer for the nonprofit organization, National Fund for Workforce Solutions, Inc., she works with employers in 30 communities to place unemployed and underemployed individuals in quality, sustainable jobs.

A Marketing major who minored in Legal Studies and Communication, Wilson and other Bryant Greek life students organized a post-Hurricane Katrina cleanup project in New Orleans, LA, that garnered Bryant staff support. That “transformative and life-changing” experience motivated her to pursue a law degree, which she believed would empower her to make positive societal contributions.

“Bryant taught us to always go for it and pursue our goals… and be creative. I can see the impact of the work we do: people are getting trained and getting jobs.”

Bryant, says Wilson, instilled in her a strong work ethic and a host of collaborative, leadership, communication, and management skills. The integrated curriculum helped her transition seamlessly after graduation – first as a Suffolk University Law School student in Boston, MA, then as a law clerk, and later to mid-management positions at National Fund before reaching her current position.

Relocating to Washington, DC, and helping to launch National Fund were extremely challenging, says Wilson, but Bryant “taught us to always go for it and pursue our goals… and to be creative.” Through the integrated curriculum, she learned how, even when plans change, to still move the needle in a different direction.

Wilson, a former Panhellenic Council President, also found that Greek life was a bridge between academic, social, and philanthropic activities. “Being able to work with different people was extremely helpful,” says Wilson, who now speaks with diverse audiences, including board members, grant funders, and job-seekers.

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