Vanessa Williams has graced every stage in entertainment–from Miss America to Broadway—with amazing style. Now the fashion icon and long-time supporter of the career empowerment non-profit Dress for Success is joining its initiative “Success is Calling” to help women get a new start on their careers.
“Women who have been down on their luck, have had some obstacles in their life and need to get back into the workforce but don’t have the proper attire and need help tapping into the job market will learn all the skills they need to be interviewed by an employer over the phone and hopefully nail the job,” the award-winning actress and singer tells Guideposts.org.
Pre-paid cellphone company TracFone is also supporting the initiative. After the women have completed the training program, they’ll receive a TracFone for 1 year to help them transition back into the workforce.
She encourages women who are navigating life changes to “believe in yourself, trust yourself and know that good will come.” Faith, she says, “is paramount in doing anything,” whether she’s picking a new role or a new charity to support.
“As an actor, I never know when the next job is going to come and what it’s going to be and who it’s going to be with, so I really have to apply the same practices that Dress for Success is teaching women. When I come into a new role, I’ve got to be a leader. I’ve got to be professional and I’ve got to be someone that people want to employ again and again.”
A major theme in Williams’ life has been empowering women–from her heart-wrenching memoir to her ground-breaking roles in entertainment. Williams is the first African American to be crowned Miss America and starred as the deliciously devious Wilhelmina Slater on ABC’s innovative, stereotype-busting show Ugly Betty. She credits her family for the courage she’s had to take on and overcome obstacles in her life and career.
“Part of it is genetic,” she tells Guideposts.org. “I come from a strong line of women. And part of it is watching my mom by example. She’s a tiny little ball of fire, all of 5 feet , and had a really tough life, but she was given opportunities to go to college and get her masters. She dealt with a lot of the tumultuous times of the Civil Rights era in the 60s. She skipped from 6th to 8th grade, ended up being a freshman in college at 16 years old, auditioned for the prestigious Hillman Opera Company and got the lead—that’s who I’m following in the footsteps of.”
“She’s someone who’s determined, who’s her own person, not afraid to speak her mind and watch by example. I’ve fallen into the steps of the strong women that came before me and I’m glad to see my wonderful daughters following in my footsteps.”
