It wasn’t until she was mentored by Syilx Elder and artist Barb Marchand and the late Secwépemc artist Dave Seymour that she began to think of a future in art. Now, Willard is an artist, curator, and assistant professor at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Okanagan. A mixed Secwépemc and settler, Willard’s research is focused in part on providing a view of the art world in small towns, rural centres, and on reserve.