Amicus, Inc.

Paving His Own Path to Success: Silk Davis and Amicus Employment Advantage

Silk Davis, 33, had entered prison at only 16-years-old, and his knowledge of the job interview process was practically non-existent when he opted to take the Amicus Employment Advantage class in June and July of 2011. Led by Amicus’ Kathleen DuChene, Silk and his class­mates dove into several topics, such as how to dress and what the employer does and does not want.

“It wasn’t just about your skills, your abilities, and your knowledge. About 75 percent of the process revolves around motivation, values and reliability,” Silk said.

30 minutes into class, it was no longer about just getting a certificate.

“It was about taking advantage of everything that Kathleen had to offer,” he said.

For Silk, there was an initial fear and re­sistance to the interview process

“I’m a convicted felon with a murder on my record. Who is going to hire me? I’m going to take whatever job they give me,” he said.

The Employment Advantage program, however, fights against this thinking, according to Silk.

“With every class, I felt like I was doing better,” he said of his experience. “I felt more motivated to get to the process. More inspired. Like I had a desire to go take part in the interview process once I was released.”

The day before he graduated from Employment Advantage, Silk received a letter from Amicus.

“Most programs that come in and teach us …once they leave, we never hear from them again,” he said.

The letter strongly encouraged him to stay involved with Amicus and take part in the reentry services Amicus has to of­fer in the community. More than that though, Silk said the invitation made him feel that someone was there for him when he left prison.

“Before that, it was like controlled chaos in my head. Which direction was I go­ing to go?” I don’t have any immediate family here, other than one brother.”

Silk was pleasantly surprised at how Kathleen extended herself to him since his release and continues to be a mentor for him.

With help from Amicus Reconnect, Silk found a lead on an apartment which might accept him despite his felonies and lack of rental history. “It was just getting in,” he said. “Give me oppor­tunity to get it. I can’t have a rental history if no one lets me in.”

This support and kindness was unex­pected to him. He sometimes wonders, “What are you doing reaching for me, why do you care?”

“If you are ever caught in a bind, or you’re out there and need some kind of assistance or someone to listen to or help in any way, they can,” he said of Amicus. “It’s like genuine care. You can’t help but to acknowledge it,” he said.

Looking to the future, Silk hopes to own a food truck company and eventually become a marketing consultant.

Silk has ambitious dreams and has really taken advantage of his time in prison to reflect on what he wants and what it will take to get there.

“You choose to rehabilitate yourself...you choose to grow and develop into something...and I chose to do that.”