Kayla Nugent

Kayla Nugent serves the Louisiana Workforce Commission in Colfax, Louisiana, where part of her role involves the WIOA program. She helps out-of-school youth and high school dropouts ages 16 to 24 enroll in the HiSET program and supports them through college graduation by assisting with financial aid and other needs. She also works with Community Action to provide heating and cooling assistance to underprivileged and low-income families. Nugent is currently earning her master's degree in public administration to contribute to foster care programs. She is an active member of the Women's Coalition, which meets monthly, and she participates in community service through the Lord's mission. She has been invited to speak at an upcoming October candlelight vigil raising awareness for survivors of domestic violence. With her father, she helped produce over one thousand shirts and dresses for an orphanage in Haiti. Nugent attributes her drive to her desire to serve as a role model for children who have faced poverty and trauma, demonstrating that success is possible after such experiences. She was raised by a single father and aims to make those who supported her proud. Her advice to young women entering the field is to treat setbacks and critique as opportunities for growth, recognizing that every failure is a learning experience and that persistence overcomes temporary rejection.