same position? So, what would I like in that position? I'd love for somebody to help me out and not look at me like I'm something different than they are. I've just been told to look at everybody to same—CEOs and janitors—as the same people.” Damian’s always had a heart for service. “I was always the type that would stop and give a homeless person some money or . . . just stop and treat people nice.” He’s from Chicago, where, from what he saw in the streets, “they seem to have forgotten about the people.” Coming to Madison, he saw people getting to live around families again—people taking care of their families. “It’s beautiful.” Damian is Rodney’s brother, and as Rodney got The Umbrella Transition Program up and running, Damian saw that Rodney needed help. “I tried to step up.” And he’s still stepping up. Damian shares that growing up with a lot of siblings was part of his foundation and prepared him for the world outside. He laughs, “In a big family, you gotta open your mouth for everything.” He adds, “It was pretty cool growing up in a big family– you always have friends.” The eclectic personalities of his siblings gave him a broad view of life. “I knew so many different personalities that by the time I got to the outside world, working in it and going to school, I was pretty prepared.” Speaking of family, “We all always cared and always did what we could. We would join groups at school.” His baby sister Tatiana in particular protested social injustices, and “the people who started Umbrella basically were my youngest sister Tatiana and my oldest brother Rodney.” And Damian is still there helping every step of the way.
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