Lucy Reyes was recently honoured as the Community Advocate – Individual Award recipient at the 2025 Calgary Awards—an accolade that reflects her unwavering dedication to community health, equity, and advocacy. As a nurse, leader, and passionate changemaker, Lucy has spent decades breaking barriers and building bridges—from pioneering inclusive leadership in Calgary’s healthcare system to creating grassroots wellness programs that empower underserved communities. Her journey is a testament to resilience, compassion, and the power of using one’s voice and expertise to uplift others.
For many, the path to nursing begins in adulthood—but for Lucy Reyes, it started in grade school on the front lines of public health in the Philippines. “I was introduced to public health when I was in Grade 4,” she recalls. “I accompanied my father, a veterinary technician, to help with cholera and other vaccinations. By Grade 5, I was administering them under his supervision and with approval from public health officers.”
After high school, Lucy pursued a nursing degree in Manila. But what should have been a joyful milestone—her graduation—was overshadowed by tragedy. Her father suffered a cardiac arrest, and despite her training, she couldn’t save him. “That moment motivated me to become a better cardiac nurse,” she says. Determined, she applied for a graduate nurse program in New Jersey, and two years later, she was accepted into the Exchange Nurse Visitor Program. After completing her training, she passed the licensing exam and became a Registered Nurse in New Jersey.
Building a Life and Career in Canada
Lucy’s move to Canada came after reconnecting with a high school friend who had immigrated—eventually becoming her husband. Through his sponsorship, she made her way to Calgary. But her journey as an internationally educated nurse (IEN) was far from easy.
“Hospitals were still operating independently and didn’t recognize registration by reciprocity,” Lucy explains. Although licensed in New Jersey, she was unable to secure a role in acute care due to the lack of “Canadian experience.” It was only after a smaller nursing home took a chance on her that she began working, and eventually gained licensure in Alberta through reciprocity.
Breaking Barriers and Leading Change
Lucy Reyes’ perseverance led to a groundbreaking achievement: she became Calgary’s first racialized frontline nurse manager in a medical teaching unit. “I was deeply honoured,” she shares. “The nursing director told me about the challenges on the unit—two separate teams under different managers with different cultures. I was hired to lead one, and within months, I was leading both. We unified the teams, and together, we succeeded.”
Despite her success, Lucy faced discrimination. In one managers’ meeting, she was mistaken for a housekeeper. Another colleague suggested she must be a housekeeping aide because “all the Filipinos he knew were just that.” While making rounds, a patient once asked how long it took her “on the boat.” When she asked why, he said, “because you look like one.” Rather than let these moments define her, Lucy used them as fuel to pursue her Master of Nursing degree—completing it while working full-time and raising a young family.
A Heart for Advocacy
For Lucy, community advocacy is about giving back through time, talent, and leadership. She began with her Filipino community and gradually expanded her efforts. Last year, her faith community received a donated AED. Lucy organized free CPR training through the Heart and Stroke Foundation and developed a health needs assessment with 120 participants, leading to the creation of a “Heart and Stroke Smart” course.
That success led to her newest initiative: FAITH—Health and Wellness Literacy. “We’re now working with other healthcare professionals in our church to grow the program,” Lucy says. “Another church is already piloting it, and I hope it becomes a diocesan-wide project.”
Looking Ahead: National and Global Impact
Lucy Reyes is also a driving force in the national conversation around support for IENs. Through her work with the Philippine Canadian Nurses Association (PCNA), she’s engaging with Filipino IEN associations across the country. At the recent International Council of Nurses (ICN) Congress in Helsinki, she met with counterparts from Australia, New Zealand, and British Columbia to discuss collaborative strategies. She’s also working with nursing education leaders in the Philippines to share insights from North American training.
Words of Wisdom
Reflecting on her journey, Lucy emphasizes the importance of lifelong learning, resilience, and balance. “It is possible to combine and balance family life and career to create success,” she says. Her greatest pride? “That I was able to balance family life while overcoming the challenges of being a visible minority—to get to where I am today.”
Lucy Reyes’ story is one of courage, perseverance, and community impact. As she continues her work in health literacy and IEN advocacy, she remains a powerful inspiration to nurses across Canada—and around the world.
