Villegas’ road to nursing wasn’t easy or speedy. It took grit, determination and turning to the Napa community for support to achieve her dreams. Looking back on her first year as a nurse at Providence Queen of the Valley Medical Center, Villegas said she can’t help but think about the people who propelled her toward destiny.

Although Villegas knew she wanted to become a nurse, she said juggling multiple jobs to afford living in Napa made attending college nearly impossible. Then, in her 30s, Vilegas gave birth to twin boys, Zion and Kasai, which made going to school feel even more unlikely. That’s when the single mother turned to community resources, where she quickly found the Cope Family Center.