2023 Remarkable Women Nominee: Deanna Head
LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) KLFY is spotlighting a trailblazer who is changing lives across Acadiana.
Tonight, we present the first of four finalists in our Remarkable Women's competition as we salute women all month long and it's no wonder our first finalist made the list.
Deanna Head is nothing short of remarkable as she tells us why her life is much like one of Whitney Houston's popular songs, "I'm Every Woman".
Her life story is heartbreaking, heartwarming and inspirational.
You may recognize her name as the founder of Unitech Training Academy.
"I have evolved and changed through the years. I've been many women, many people," Head said.
That statement becomes clearer as she begins to tell her story, describing her family life as dysfunctional and worse, that she was sexually abused as a child.
"Back then I could only depend on and trust myself, even at 6-years-old because it took me out of my childhood and put me in a world, I wasn't familiar with, scared you know, just cope."
She went to one of a few people in her life she could trust, asking her grandmother.
"Was I born on this earth to deal with all of this dysfunction and all of this negativity my whole life," she asked to which she says her grandmother responded, "God has a way of working it out, if you've had it tough or you've had bad times in the first part of your life, god tends to even it out in the end, in the last part."
It would be years before Head would see her grandmother's wisdom become reality in her life.
She started her life's work in the medical field and as life would have it, the tables turned for the worse. Domestic violence and homelessness would test her resiliency once again.
"As a young nurse, working and helping support my community by doing charity events at a young age and being a single mom going through a woman of domestic violence, then being homeless with my son."
It wasn’t' long before her grandmother's words of a better future became her new promising reality.
Head landed a hospital job working 12 hours shifts and missed a lot of firsts with her son. She decided to start teaching so she could have regular hours.
She met her husband and moved to Lafayette.
"On April 24, 1997 I opened Unitech starting with one program, CNA. So, a 1,604 square foot building, one program has evolved today into six campuses throughout Louisiana and our online program throughout Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi, so we have come a long way."
A long way indeed. This remarkable woman shares why she made it, and it begins with her faith in God, and the goodness and forgiveness in her heart.
"The way it was supposed to have been lived. No matter what it's been, whatever I've been through in my life, that's my story and that's the way it was supposed to be."
So, what is this remarkable woman's next adventure? Head purchased 24 acres of farmland in Lafayette and as News Ten reported, recently opened Bridge Point Farms providing Acadiana’s first drive-thru Christmas light show. She says it's a lot of work, but she's up for the challenge.
Be sure to tune in to News10 all month long to catch the profiles of all four finalists and to find out the winner of this year's Remarkable Woman Campaign.