The next time you use a map—whether it’s to explore your favorite national park, find your way to a friend's house, or search for a hidden treasure—think of DI associate Micah.

“I am planning to get a degree in geography and use it to get a career in the field of cartography, which is the study and creation of maps,” Micah says. “I hope to use my skills and experiences to enhance my chances.”

Micah came to work as a DI associate with the goal to recover from a funk. However, the experience has proven to be more beneficial than he imagined.

“There are so many ways DI helps me,” Micah says. “It helps me maintain a proactive mindset, get satisfaction and appreciation from hard work, and have a stronger sense of discipline.”

When he joined DI, Micah brought prior experience from employment at a local fast-food restaurant.

“Speed was an absolute must,” he says of working at the restaurant. “Speed along with efficiency.”

Now at DI, Micah has been able to use skills he learned from his previous job—including speed and efficiency—but noted that the two are very different working environments. The chance to work in a new situation was an appeal of becoming a DI associate.

“A big part of my interest in working at DI was just getting a taste of what it’s like to work in the retail field,” Micah says. “I have also known a couple people who worked for DI, and they seemed to like the job.”

Due to the operating hours in the retail environment, Micah occasionally works when his job coach has left for the day. He views this as an opportunity to display leadership and support his team.

“It’s a key responsibility to not only get the work done but also make sure that our coworkers do their fair share of work and gain as much from the experience as our job coach would intend,” Micah says.