When Nicole first met Goodwill North Central Wisconsin President and CEO Chris Hess, she was a brand-new team member, but she didn’t hesitate to introduce herself.

“She came right up to me, bright eyed, enthusiastic and told me, ‘I’m here to do a really great job for Goodwill,’” Hess remembers.

Nicci’s journey to that moment had been anything but easy. She grew up in Idaho in a family affected by alcoholism, moving back and forth between her parents after their divorce. In 2008, her brother died, marking a particularly difficult period in her life.

Her grief became a turning point. She began using substances to cope, eventually progressing to harder drugs. As a young mother trying to manage grief, addiction and the responsibilities of raising children, Nicci found herself caught in a cycle that became increasingly difficult to escape.

“I was never home with my kids,” she said.

Eventually, Nicci was incarcerated for three years, but that is not where her story ended.

Through drug court, Nicci began completing community service at Goodwill NCW. While there, a team member encouraged her to apply for a job. She did and was hired as a cashier.

“For Goodwill to give me a second chance at employment, it feels really good that they believed in me,” Nicci said. “…Still believe in me. I’ve never had that before.”

Employment became one piece of a much bigger transformation.

Nicci began working with a Goodwill NCW financial counselor, who helped her create a budget and break seemingly overwhelming goals into manageable steps. Together, they worked toward paying off rent and child support obligations and building greater financial stability.

As Nicci reached those goals, something shifted.

“It was the first time in her life that she felt like she didn’t just have to survive, but she could start to dream,” said Kayla, Goodwill NCW Partnerships and Development Manager.

And Nicci kept dreaming bigger.

She grew from a program participant to a full-time team member and ultimately into a leadership role as an assistant store manager. Along the way, the people around her saw the determination she brought to each new challenge.

“She is very resilient,” said Shannon, Goodwill NCW Regional Manager. “She has something in her mind and she works really hard and she achieves it – and she wants more.”

That perseverance is why Nicci has been named Goodwill NCW’s Edgar J. Helms Achiever of the Year, an honor recognizing someone who has overcome significant barriers while working toward greater independence and opportunity.

For Nicci, however, the journey is still unfolding.

She is building her leadership skills and looking toward another goal: someday managing a store of her own.

“Knowing that people will trust me, it makes me feel good that I’d be able to run my own store one day,” Nicci said. “I’m not saying now, but in the future. It’ll take some time to get there, but I know I’d be able to do it.”

From rebuilding her life to discovering what she is capable of, Nicci has already traveled an extraordinary distance.

And, as Hess said, “The best is probably yet to come.”

That perseverance is why Nicole has been named Goodwill NCW’s Edgar J. Helms Achiever of the Year, an honor recognizing someone who has overcome significant barriers while working toward greater independence and opportunity. We are proud of how far she has come and are honored to be a part of her continued journey.