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<\/a><\/p>\nStories of Honor is a Fort Worth Report weekly series spotlighting 12 Tarrant County veterans<\/a> who are serving beyond the uniform.<\/p>\n We also are highlighting nonprofits<\/a> recommended by the veterans.<\/p>\n In November, the veterans will gather for a luncheon where the Report will honor their service at the National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington.<\/p>\n Then he met Emian Williams.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s like a mother to me,\u201d Windsor said. \u201cShe taught me how to talk, dress and make a resume.\u201d<\/p>\n Williams, a transition specialist with the Bridges from School to Work program, spotted Windsor\u2019s potential the moment she located him down the hall. He was serious, and the other students were being loud and boisterous, she said. After introducing herself, Williams cracked a few jokes, but it wasn\u2019t until they went into her office that he calmed down and opened up.<\/p>\n Bridges, a national nonprofit founded to connect young adults with disabilities \u2014 especially those from underserved communities \u2014 to jobs and independent living, had just opened its North Texas branch in 2005.\u00a0<\/p>\n The best strategy for him is practice, Williams told Windsor. That included helping Windsor complete job applications, practice interviews and dress for success.<\/p>\n \u201cI always carry myself well and suit up,\u201d Windsor said. \u201cWilliams said one thing you can\u2019t take back is a first impression, which has shaped my work ethic.\u201d<\/p>\n Bridges helped him land his first job as a janitor at a Baylor hospital in Dallas. He wasn\u2019t thrilled at first, scrubbing toilets didn\u2019t seem like a win. But Williams told him, whether he\u2019s CEO or scrubbing toilets for a living, his name would be on everything he did, so be the best at it.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s stuck with me and I\u2019ve come a long way because of those words alone,\u201d Windsor said.<\/p>\n Beyond the workplace, Williams helped Windsor tackle his speech challenges by connecting him with a speech pathologist who assigned him reading exercises to boost his confidence.<\/p>\n She also taught him how to write out goals and reverse engineer his dreams.<\/p>\n \u201cWhatever your goals are, how do you get there?\u201d Windsor said. \u201cWrite it down step-by-step, and that structure changed my life.\u201d<\/p>\n Williams transferred the skills she learned in the Army and from the Bridges program to her students, she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Windsor needed that structure more than ever when his mother was diagnosed with chronic-obstructive pulmonary disease. Bedridden and unable to work, Windsor dropped out of college to care for his mom.<\/p>\n As Windsor faced those challenges, Williams remained a constant source of support.<\/p>\n \u201cWilliams helped Windsor open his mind,\u201d he said. \u201cShe didn\u2019t have to help out, but she genuinely cared and changed lives for the better.\u201d<\/p>\n Even now, in his 30s, she still helps him with things like changing his address. Nearly two decades later, she\u2019s still awesome, Windsor said.<\/p>\n Williams said she never planned to stay connected so long, but Windsor\u2019s character compelled her. Not long after she met him, his mother got sick. He could\u2019ve been out living his life, but instead, he stepped up with no hesitation. His selfless duty to care for his mom was inspiring, she said.<\/p>\n Robert Mollard, director of the Dallas Fort Worth Bridges program, hired Williams 20 years ago. She was so eager, she showed up a day early to the interview. She was one of the first hires.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWhen she came back the next day, we had a laugh over the situation,\u201d Mollard said. \u201cShe captivated me with her personality, excitement and her passion, when I hired her.\u201d<\/p>\n Most of Bridges\u2019 students are young people of color from underserved communities. The program works with youth ages 16-24, helping them overcome barriers to employment, education and independent living.\u00a0<\/p>\n Williams has helped so many people find jobs, get food assistance and temporary housing, Mollard said. She goes the extra mile to make sure the kids are as successful as they can be.\u00a0<\/p>\n Windsor, now a skilled machinist, is achieving financial and long-term career goals.<\/p>\n Watching students like Windsor thrive is what success is, Williams said.<\/p>\n And for Windsor, her impact is still as strong as the day she chased him down the hall.<\/p>\n \u201cShe cares,\u201d Windsor said. \u201cYou won\u2019t find that with a lot of educators.\u201d<\/p>\n Orlando Torres is a reporting fellow for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at orlando.torres@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative<\/a> for adhering to standards for ethical journalism.<\/p>\n Republish This Story<\/p>\n
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