Miguel found Orion “when [he] needed them the most.” Once he arrived at Orion, Miguel noted, “It was a match made in heaven.” Miguel describes himself as “…hardworking, dependable, loyal, fun-loving individual who doesn’t let [his] disability hinder [his] good spirit. He’s one of four children and has worked as a professional photographer. An example of Miguel’s photography is included at the end of this bio.
Miguel is often the first person to greet Orion’s guests, customers, and participants. His warm and inviting personality sets the right tone for those who find Orion during difficult times. It earned him Orion’s staff member of the year award in 2022.
He’s worn dual hats while at Orion: employee, and most recently, mentor. Miguel embodies the very best of Orion, while passing that on to those he mentors. He would look for anyone wanting to mentor at Orion to have patience and be a people-person. Miguel noted, “We all learn through others showing us what to do.”
He looks for participants who present with, “a will to learn, motivation, punctuality, can-do attitude, and understanding.” He believes, “everyone learns at a different pace and with different methods.” Miguel understands everyone makes mistakes, and that everyone learns from them. As a personal mentor, Miguel coaches participants it’s “…ok to make mistakes…” and, “…I will coach them when mistakes happen, and that it’s all a learning process.”
Miguel takes pride in seeing people he’s mentored taking giant steps forward, and then out into the community as employees. “They worked hard, and they did it!” He notes, “The biggest take away is that I can make a difference.”
