Veronica Smith

“It was that visual,” she recalls, “that changed everything.”



In that moment, Veronica saw her own financial reality clearly for the first time. The weight of the realization hit hard. She felt overwhelmed, boxed in, and unsure of what direction her life was heading. As she reflected, one truth became undeniable: without furthering her education, there was little upward mobility in her career.

“I had hit a ceiling,” Veronica said, “and I wasn’t sure how to navigate it.”

A few days later, that vulnerability followed her to dinner with her LWS Action Learning Project team. As they shared stories and life updates, Veronica opened up about her “aha” moment—about the fear, the anxiety, and the long list of reasons she believed she couldn’t go back to school. Over and over, she repeated the same phrase: I can’t.

Her teammates listened—and then they challenged her.

“What do you mean you can’t?” they asked. “You can.”

One teammate in particular, Kenyetta Richmond, Executive Director of Holistic Success Services at Forsyth Technical Community College, stepped in to help turn possibility into a plan. Together, they mapped out practical, step-by-step next moves. Before Veronica fully knew it, she was enrolled at Forsyth Tech once again—this time with financial support and a clear path forward. Though she had attended Forsyth Tech years earlier without graduating, this moment felt different.

“It was a miracle,” Veronica shared. “I didn’t think it would be possible for me to go back to school completing a statistics class at 40.”

Two years later, the results speak volumes. Veronica has consistently earned spots on the Dean’s List and President’s List and was even selected as a keynote speaker for Forsyth Tech’s adult learner program. Looking back, she recognizes that fear of failure and lack of self-confidence were her greatest barriers—not her ability.

Her LWS Action Learning Team continued to open doors and encourage her next steps. Jon Kapell, Assistant Dean of Students at Winston-Salem State University, encouraged Veronica to continue her journey beyond Forsyth Tech. This May, she will graduate—and in the fall, she plans to enroll at WSSU to pursue a degree in social work.

Why social work? Veronica points directly to her LWS experience. Human Resource and Social Services Program Days, combined with the disparities highlighted throughout the Flagship program, shaped her calling. Her goal is to become a licensed clinical social worker and provide counseling to others navigating the same systems she once struggled to understand.

“None of this would have happened without LWS,” Veronica says. “One barrier could have stopped everything—but my LWS support system pushed me forward. Their belief in me sustained me until I started to believe in myself.”

Today, Veronica sees her life on a new trajectory—one defined by economic mobility, purpose, and possibility. And for her, the true value of Leadership Winston-Salem is immeasurable.

“No price can be put on the meaningful connections and social capital made because of LWS,” she says. “It changed the trajectory of my life.”