“I am always looking to get more work experience in diverse situations to give me more opportunities. Specifically in my new job, it has shown me just how capable I am as a blind person and has really increased my confidence in myself."
Jamal Russ was diagnosed with a visual impairment at age 13. Originally from Delaware, he relocated to Wichita, KS to work for Envision after being referred by a friend. Envision covered all of Jamal’s relocation costs, and he has now been with Envision for six years.
“After I finished college in Delaware, I needed to support myself financially and was determined to get more work experience,” shared Russ. “I was applying for jobs without much luck until a friend told me about Envision. I applied to work in manufacturing and before I knew it, I was relocating to Wichita to start my new career.” Russ says that while at first he was happy just to have a job, he grew to love Envision and what the organization stands for.
“The longer I worked at Envision, I made many friends and began to really appreciate the mission, and all Envision has done for me,” shared Russ. “It’s really cool to experience the personal impact of Envision and see the opportunities the company provides for people who are blind and visually impaired.”
After working for three years as a Bag Folder/Picker in manufacturing, he advanced to a Machine Operator. In April of this year, after six years of working in manufacturing, he transitioned to the Envision Interface Contact Center as a Contact Center Campaign Representative. Russ says he sees working in this new position as an ample opportunity to increase his skill sets, gain confidence in his abilities and allows him to continue building upon his employment experiences.
Russ continues to share, “I am always looking to get more work experience in diverse situations to give me more opportunities. Specifically in my new job, it has shown me just how capable I am as a blind person and has really increased my confidence in myself. I had already been familiar with assistive technology software since I had to use it throughout college, but as a Contact Center Campaign Representative, I have learned a lot more techniques within software systems that have helped me grow.”
Russ acknowledges that while his personal efforts have been crucial to his career growth, he couldn’t have reached this point alone. He specifically shares the inspiration and support he has received from Michael Monteferrante, Envision President and CEO.
“Michael is an inspiration to me,” Russ shares. “He’s always kind, asks how I’m doing, and has been nothing but encouraging. He believed in me and pushed me to be my best, and I’m grateful for that.” Russ also credits his colleagues at Envision, including Walter Harper and Johnson Riungu, as well as his Interface Contact Center team. “My current team members are some of the best people. My supervisors, Andy Hoffman and Heather Moore, and my coworkers, Laridda Williams-Murphy, Sandy Wilkinson, and Brandon Murphy specifically, have been incredibly supportive and have helped me grow and feel more comfortable since I joined the team.”
Russ is excited about his new career journey and looks forward to continuing to develop his skills with Envision. To learn more about employment opportunities at Envision, please visit envisionus.com/job-opportunities.
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