Paralyzed woman earning master's degree while in veteran's hospital

TAMPA, Fla. - Retired military veteran Ashley Williams is proof that there's nothing you can't achieve if you put your mind to it.

"She was the happiest baby ever," said Dr. Kathy Bass, Ashley's mom. "As long as you kept her with a book. She wasn't crazy about toys. She always wanted something educational."

Williams has always been driven to learn according to her family. 

"Loved to read. For Christmas instead of like most kids would want, toys, she wanted encyclopedias. She wanted medical books. And I was like, medical books. And that was what she wanted. This is in elementary school then," Dr. Bass said. 

Ashley Williams was hit by a car while serving in the Air Force.

After high school, Williams went into the Air Force. But while stationed overseas, she was hit by a car and left with spinal cord injuries.

"We've had ongoing care and management of her spinal cord injuries since that time period," said Dr Kevin White, Chief of Spinal Cord Injuries at James A. Haley V.A. "I think her initial injury was 2009." 

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It's a long road to recovery for Williams. She's been at the James A. Haley V.A. in Tampa for the past three years, but has not lost her love of learning. 

"She's getting her master's in teaching right now, and she's one class shy after this, one class shy of getting her bachelor's in nursing," Dr. Bass added. 

The retired military veteran does not let her disability stop her from reaching her goals. 

Medical complications caused Ashley to lose her voice. But she has not lost her drive to succeed. 

"Never let anyone tell you what you cannot do and believe, and you never stop trying cause you always miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take," Williams said.

"I'm super proud of her because she is focusing on her ability and not her disability," said Debra Coleman, Ashley's Aunt. "And she's not letting anything prevent her from doing what she wants to do." 

Williams, has big plans for her life.

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"Inspire the next generation of students for now, as I continue to try and will be a doctor," Williams shared. 

"Through the three years that she's been going through, she's kept her head up the entire time from losing her voice to being fully paralyzed," said Dr. Bass. "She didn't let that stop her reaching her goals." 

Williams is proof that you can accomplish anything with focus and hard work. She will be graduating on Aug. 13 with a master's degree in Teaching.