Senior Advisor, Sycamore Partners
People & Perspectives
Meet April Wafford, senior analyst at Walgreens
Read how she's dedicated her life to helping communities in need while also serving as vice chair for the Walgreens African American Leadership employee group.
My name is April Wafford and I am a senior analyst at Walgreens. I have the privilege to work on our 340b team, which is dedicated to serving those who are uninsured and underinsured. In other words, I work with hospitals and clinics to provide low or no cost drugs to their patients. My work has a direct impact on communities across the U.S., and every day is a new adventure.
In addition to my role, I also serve as Vice Chair for the company’s African American Leadership (AAL) Business Resource Group (BRG).
Prior to becoming Chair of AAL, I had the opportunity to observe and learn how the BRGs at WBA play an integral role in creating a more diverse and inclusive workplace. WBA has incredibly robust and active BRGs that span diverse communities, so when the opportunity arose for me to lead a BRG I was honored. It makes me proud to work for a company that puts diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) at the center of everything we do.
DE&I is very important to me. Since my first job out of college in the automotive industry, I have found myself doing DE&I work in some form or another. It seems to be in my DNA. I believe it is important that all employees have the space to feel heard and seen.
On a personal level, I am a wife and mother of two; I have a 4-year-old son and a 10-month-old daughter. COVID-19 has changed my family’s life. My husband Nick and I usually take shifts with the children, who have been home with us since the pandemic began. We share our calendars and try to keep the children occupied when the other has a meeting or important work to complete. At first, adjusting to life in a pandemic was hard on our family, but after a year we’ve found our balance. This opportunity to spend time together, while hectic, has been a joy of my life.
On a typical day I wake up around 6 a.m. Before my feet touch the ground, I give thanks for the day to come by saying a short prayer. Then I shower and prepare for my workday.
By 6:45 a.m. I am seated in my home office, logged in and hard at work. Around 8 a.m. my children are awake and it’s time to put on my mommy hat. I change my daughter’s diaper and prepare her bottle. Then I fix my son’s breakfast which is usually a combination of a protein, fruit and toast or oatmeal. I usually reserve pancakes for weekend but every now and then, I like to surprise him.
Between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. my day is very busy. I usually have calls where I engage with clients on a variety of topics, including but not limited to, providing a better understanding of their program, reviewing their claims or discussing their electronic files. When I am not on calls, I review client programs, work on internal projects, analyze data and respond to emails. In between, I’m making bottles, changing diapers and ensuring my son completes his school assignments.
Between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. I make lunch for my family and home-school my son. We have a chalkboard wall in our kitchen so I usually have him practice writing his sight words or equations on the wall while I prepare lunch and lay my daughter down for her nap.
My afternoons are spent like my mornings, managing projects and client programs.
Around 5 p.m. I log off and my husband or I prepare dinner. My husband is definitely the chef in the family; we take turns cooking. Nick views food as an experience, which is very fortunate for me as he has the passion and patience to prepare five-star, restaurant quality meals (like the one pictured here). I, on the other hand, make simple delicious meals that don’t take a lot of time. Between the two of us, dinner is usually served around 6:30 p.m.
Around 7:30 p.m. I turn on my Peloton App and my son and I do a short 20-minute family workout (after my 20 minute cycle class), sometimes followed by a brief meditation or yoga. Before the pandemic, I used to teach a variety of fitness classes including Zumba and Barre (I’ve been a certified fitness instructor for almost 10 years). I am looking forward to when I can resume in person instruction.
Around 8:30 p.m. I bathe the kids, give my daughter her last bottle then tuck them into bed. Once the children are asleep I spend a few hours each night with peace and quiet to truly focus and knock out important task. I catch up on work or a project for AAL. Dividing my time during the day to be mom and employee is tough, but it all has to get done!
Despite this difficult time, I feel very lucky to have my family by my side and a job that I love. I am truly blessed.
