Member Spotlight

Damian Riggs was selected to be the DAC Member Spotlight. He is a North Marion husky alumnus, who graduated in 2022. Damian comes from a loving family made up of parents, Nancy and Murranda, sisters Lily and Jasmine, niece Talina, nana Judy, and grandparents Paul and Debbie.

Although Damian intitially began attending the DAC to work on life skills in December 2023 through the Division of Rehabilitation Services, he quickly began to immerse himself into DAC programming as well.

While Damian mentioned geology, creative arts, painting, archaeology, and guitar being his top choices, he regularly attends all classes provided. Regardless of the activity or lesson that is being covered, Damian is always willing to try something new and it was because of this, that he received the 2024 Camp Can-Do award.

Damian exudes creativity, which will come in handy for his dream job of becoming a screenwriter in New York City. With Damian’s career aspiration, it makes sense that he is a movie/television buff, citing Teen Wolf, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Grimm, and Baby’s Day Out as some of his favorites. His creativity is not solely limited to pen and paper, but is being expanded to other areas such as learning to play the guitar. Music is another form of art appreciated by Damian, with his favorite artist being renowned violinist, Lindsey Stirling.

While Damian does maintain a busy weekday schedule of attending DAC programming, he does enjoy time with his family. In his free time, Damian enjoys going out to eat at Applebees and visiting the Rail Riders at the Elk River.

Those who know Damian, can attest to his positive attitude, especially in the face of adversity. This has been seen through his ability to navigate the stressors that comes with his epilepsy diagnosis that occurred around the time of his graduation from high school. Damian says that it can be difficult and at times frustrating, because there are certain limitations to what he can do. These limitations impact the freedoms that most get to experience in adulthood; sacrificing these freedoms to make his health a priority. Finding the right balance of medications to manage his seizures can be taxing, but he does his best to remain positive through all the trials.

Damian looks up to and admires the determination that famous physicist, Stephen Hawking, displayed while living with ALS. He says that he was able to accomplish great things, even in the midst of hardship. Stephen Hawking’s life and accomplishments have inspired Damian to remain optimistic and know that he can also preserve and achieve his dreams. Damian hopes that he will be an inspiration to others as Stephen Hawking has been to him.

Although this entire spotlight is to highlight the man that Damian is to those who do and do not yet know him, this last section will be addressed specifically for him.

Damian,

You said that you hoped to be an inspiration to others. We are here to tell you that you are. Your kindness, resiliency, drive, and who you are as a person is an inspiration to everyone you meet. Thank you for sharing part of your life with us and we know you will continue to inspire others throughout your journey.