When Felicia Tucker completed a 2018 Allied Universal program, she didn’t know that the Skills Initiative would continue to play a role in her life. “I didn’t realize that once we were done with the program that we’d still be in touch as much as we’ve been,” she shared. She loved receiving alumni newsletters and invitations to back-to-school drives, summer barbeques, and holiday parties. “There’s so much to make us feel so connected and still a part of the program. And then in the recent years there’s been the WPSI Scholarship program.”
Launched in 2021, the last-dollar scholarship program awarded a total of $97,500 to twenty-five program graduates in 2024. This is the largest scholarship cycle to date, thanks to generous funding from the Hummingbird Foundation and the Chappell-Culpeper Foundation. Felicia was awarded a WPSI Scholarship for the secondtime in two years.
Felicia enrolled in school right after the cohort finished. After giving birth to her second child and earning an associates degree in May of 2023, she decided to enroll in the Human Lactation Consultant Program at Drexel, which she completed in May of 2024. “What really got me interested in becoming a lactation consultant was that I wanted to be for other women what I really wished that I had,” Felicia explained. “I went through my own struggles with breast feeding, and as a Black woman, sometimes our voices aren’t necessarily heard in the medical setting.” She feels there are serious disparities with Black maternal health which led to issues. “Thankfully I was able to turn things around through various resources like the Maternity Care Coalition.”
Most recently, Felicia shared an update about obtaining her dream job at the Maternity Care Coalition as a Childbirth and Lactation Specialist. “Having received the WPSI scholarship last year, to be able to finish at Community College of Philadelphia and transition over to Drexel, then again [receiving the scholarship] this year to pay my entrance fee for the exam has directly aligned me with and prepared me for this opportunity and I couldn’t be more grateful!”
So, what’s next for the mother of two? First, she’ll be taking the 4-hour-long Lactation Consultant Certification Exam in September. Then in October, she’ll be getting married. “I would be nothing and nowhere without my village. And they go absolutely everywhere that I go! My fiancé has been an amazing support. My mother-in-law has been so helpful. We’re lucky there.”
As a 2024 Scholarship recipient, Felicia will continue to receive professional coaching and support as she moves forward in her professional and educational journey. We can’t wait to share when she passes the exam.
If you or someone you know needs resources for pregnant and breastfeeding moms, Felicia suggests the following resources:
https://llli.org/
https://www.baeculture.org/
https://maternitycarecoalition.org/
