Program Participant Spotlight: Ummaromana Sama, CHAMP

How long have you been part of CHAMP? And how did you find out about it?

I have a friend named Destiny, and she’s part of CHAMP. There was a field trip to go bowling, and she was allowed to invite some people to go. She invited me, and I figured, why not? Around the summertime—this was Pride Month—they had a pride barbecue. Things kind of just went from there with me becoming a member and doing the intake.

How has it been so far?

It’s been great. I really enjoyed it in the summertime because it was a great way to hang out with friends and do different activities. It was a nice way to meet different people and also see new settings.

Have you met a lot of new people?

There’s been some recurring faces. There’s also the staff members like Julie and Brittany who go on the trips. We’re able to build rapport, and I think it’s easy to relate to them. Sometimes we’ll be going somewhere—it could be to the Statue of Liberty or an art museum. These are places I’ve never been to and I don’t know all the CHAMP members, so there’s a little hesitation, like, “Oh, I don’t know anyone there.” But they motivate me to be like, “Let me go and try something different.”

What have been your favorite field trips?

The trips I enjoy are the ones that are places I’ve never been to or that are more out of the way. There was the Statue of Liberty, the Museum of Ice Cream, and bowling. There’s also smaller trips, maybe to the park or to whichever other museum. The Six Flags trip was a good

one, because I don’t usually have the opportunity to go there, but they organized a bus and got the tickets. 

How much of what you do in CHAMP centers on mental health? 

It’s more about us being together in the group. However, we all do have conversations about mental health, whether it’s something on the news, like recent events, or something happening in our personal lives. At least for me and Brittany, we catch up with whatever I have going on. We’ve set up one-on-one calls, and I give her updates, like, “I just started seeing this psychiatrist, or this medication makes me tired.” You’re able to share and give updates as much as you want to and carve out time to catch up and talk further.

I had never previously taken medications for depression and stuff, so to be able to schedule a few calls with Brittany was really helpful. She would encourage me and remind me there’s nothing wrong with telling a psychiatrist, “This [medicine] does not work.” Having the right person that has experience on a professional level to help me navigate this has been great. Otherwise it would have been a rougher road ahead. 

Right, I’m sure it’s nice to have that support system. 

Yeah, because there are moments where I’m not sure if this is me just having a bad day or something else. Sometimes I only meet with my therapist every two weeks, or even later if the therapist is busy, so having a friend who kind of keeps tabs on you is nice. 

Are you working right now, or are you in school?

I’m working. I was previously part of another organization called HMI, but I aged out. They have an internship called business of fashion that’s twice a week that I’m still doing. In October, I started working as a tech support specialist, answering tickets. I am grateful for both opportunities, but I really want to get a full-time job with benefits

This is the first week in a while where my schedule is open, and I’m trying to make the most out of it, whether it’s meeting up with friends or movies or whatever. I want to make the most out of this free time because I don’t know when I’ll get it again.

What would your dream career path look like? 

That is a tough question. All I know is it would be nice to move upwards and make bigger choices. I’m not 100% sure what I want to do, but it would be nice for it to be creative. I have a 3D printer, and I think maybe I could try to learn how to 3D model. I could design my own stuff in the future and have my own prints.