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Amway Hero Awards 2024: Connie Edwards
Amway Heroes is a longstanding tradition at Amway of recognizing changemakers in their communities. Anyone involved in Amway who has a drive to make a difference and is actively engaged in elevating people around them can be an Amway Hero.
Constance Edwards isn’t just a hero to her friends, loved ones and community – she is a hero to our nation. Her commitment to enacting meaningful change has transformed the lives of those she interacts with and fights for.
Growing up in Alabama during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, Constance witnessed firsthand how meaningful change could transform lives. From a young age, she was an advocate for change – participating in protest marches, taking non-violent resistance classes and working hard in school to break through systemic barriers that had limited the possibilities for those who came before her.
Her hard work and tenacity allowed her to pursue a career in nursing. While attending Tuskegee University, Constance enrolled in the Army Nurse Training Program, catapulting her into a three- decade-long career in the United States Armed Forces.
Constance rose to full bird Colonel in the Army Nurse Corps, tending to injured soldiers – including prisoners of war – all while continually facing racism and discrimination at various points in her career. While many Americans saw the horrors of war from their living rooms, Constance’s work placed her at the forefront of the conflict, notably when she worked at the 24th Evacuation Hospital in Vietnam during the 1968 TET Offensive.
It is well known that despite the heroic efforts of many who served in Vietnam, the Vietnam War’s unpopularity created a hostile environment for veterans once they returned home. In addition to verbal taunts, some protesters even spat on veterans. Although America’s veterans were physically back home, many didn’t feel welcomed.
Rather than succumbing to negativity, Constance saw this mistreatment as an opportunity to support her fellow veterans.
She sprang into action by serving as the co-chair of the 1986 Chicago Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Parade which welcomed U.S. troops back from Vietnam 11 years after they returned to America, finally acknowledging and honoring their service. This parade marked the beginning of the healing process for many veterans.
Organizing the parade required a daunting amount of time and money. For a year, Constance and her partners struggled to build support for the project. However, Constance knew how much such an event would mean to Vietnam veterans and continued to advocate for it.
Her efforts paid off. The 1986 Chicago Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Parade became the largest Vietnam veteran parade ever at the time. Constance recalled the streets being more packed than she could imagine. The parade helped Americans accept the fact that U.S. veterans deserved gratitude for their service.
Constance made it her life’s mission to support all veterans and make sure they receive the recognition and care they earned for serving their nation. Her advocacy has led to the creation of The Vietnam Women’s Memorial, expansion of healthcare for veterans, recognition of PTSD by the government and awareness of veteran homelessness. She’s also an original member and officer of the National Women Veterans United, the Coalition of Veterans Organizations, the Military Officers Association and other veterans action groups and veterans advisory councils.
After 32 years of service, Constance retired from the military and dedicated her life to advocating for veterans while simultaneously becoming a successful Independent Business Owner (IBO) with Amway. The transition from veteran to business owner is very common. IBOs and servicemembers often possess the same skills of hard work, discipline, teamwork and leadership. Constance’s passion for changing the lives of those around her also makes her a great IBO. Closely aligning with Amway’s community-based model, Constance and her fellow IBOs are encouraged to develop fellowship with each other and within the communities where they live and work.
From Alabama to Vietnam, to Chicago and DC, Constance has always found a way to transform the lives of those around her for the better. She knows that anyone can make a positive difference and that setbacks shouldn’t be seen as deterrents, but as opportunities to rise and persevere.
Her dedication to improving the world is what makes her a hero.