When Jessica Wilson’s coworkers nominated her for Associate of the Year, it reflected the journey she’d been on since joining Outlook Nebraska.
“It tells me that my work matters,” Jessica says. “That people notice I’m willing to help, collaborate, and get the job done every day.”
Jessica has spent three years at Outlook Nebraska, where she currently works on the Spartan Chemical line, helping bottle janitorial cleaning and disinfectant products for purchase by the Federal Government. What Jessica found at Outlook was more than just a job—it was a chance to grow, challenge herself, and prove what she could achieve.
Jessica’s Path to Outlook Nebraska
Jessica and her family moved to Nebraska during the COVID-19 pandemic to be closer to relatives in Bellevue and to seek new opportunities. After researching Outlook Nebraska, her husband Chris applied and joined the team. A few years later, when their youngest daughter started kindergarten, Jessica decided it was time to rejoin the workforce after being a stay-at-home mom.
With no prior manufacturing experience, Jessica wasn’t sure what to expect. Jessica started on the converting floor as a Finisher I before being offered a role on the Spartan Chemical production line. Rather than shy away from an unfamiliar role, she embraced the opportunity.
That willingness to learn has defined Jessica’s time at Outlook. Along the way, she’s gained confidence, developed new skills, and takes pride in continuously improving her work.
Looking ahead, Jessica is enthusiastic about the future of our janitorial cleaners and disinfectants. With a new filling machine on the way and more products being added to the line, she’s optimistic about the department’s ongoing growth.
“I’m excited and hopeful that the Spartan side can grow as big as the paper side,” she says.
Living with Vision Loss: Congenital Nystagmus and Strabismus
Jessica was born premature with congenital nystagmus, a condition that weakens the eye muscles and causes involuntary shaking of the eyes. She also has strabismus, which causes her eyes to shift outward (exotropia) and misalign, affecting both her depth perception and visual acuity. With 20/200 vision, Jessica has peripheral vision but cannot see clearly at a distance and must get close to read print or see objects. She uses magnification tools, including ZoomText, to help with daily tasks.
Jessica attended public school until seventh grade before attending the Arkansas School for the Blind, where she stayed through her senior year. It was the first time she met other people with vision loss and learned how to apply the skills she had been taught to everyday life. It was also where she met her husband, Chris.
After graduating, Jessica studied social work at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock but ultimately decided to focus on raising a family. Aside from a seasonal retail position at Target, Outlook Nebraska has been her first long-term career.
Raising a Family as a Blind Parent
Jessica is raising two daughters, both thriving in school, and says day-to-day parenting hasn’t looked much different for her family. Her parents never treated her differently than her sighted sibling growing up, and she’s carried that same approach into raising her own kids, who are both fully sighted.
The biggest obstacle, she says, is transportation. She doesn’t drive, so she relies on rideshare services like Uber to get to the store or to doctor’s appointments, which means planning everything well in advance.
“I feel like I am always on someone else’s time,” Jessica says.
If there’s one thing Jessica wants people to understand, it’s that vision loss doesn’t define what someone is capable of.
“I wish there wasn’t so much stigma around vision loss,” she says. “I wish people were more educated and less quick to write off what we can do. We can do what a sighted person can—you just have to give us the opportunity and let us show you, especially in the workplace.”
Between work and raising her daughters, Jessica admits she doesn’t have much free time, though she’d love to get more involved in Outlook Enrichment’s community events when she can. For now, she’s focused on what’s in front of her: doing good work, continuing to grow into her role, and supporting her fellow associates.
Congratulations to Jessica Wilson, Outlook Nebraska’s 2026 Associate of the Year.
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