Richard Embden grew up in Queens, N.Y. He spent four years at Atlantic Union College in Lancaster, Mass., studying theology and psychology before joining the Army. In the military he completed his B.S. degree. Contact Richard at chessaddict7@yahoo. com or facebook.com/addicted2ministry.
What did you do after getting your B.S.? I moved to Ohio, I was on a team that taught 150 state employees how to use a new computer job-matching system. I became a certified technical trainer (CTT+), and helped low-income individuals become certified in Word and Excel, assemble computers, and get jobs.
Did you like computer work? Very much. I became a computer consultant. I’m proficient at Visual Basic, web design and typesetting. Before my move to DC, I worked on Bell South Business DSL technical support.
What brought you to DC, and what happened here? I came for a job in the wireless industry, and was learning computer networking, but the company folded. I started advocating for the homeless.
What are your current goals, and where would you like to be in five years? I enjoy Street Sense because I can connect with people and set my work hours. I’d like to get access to a laptop so I can effectively job hunt. Eventually I’d like to be a small business owner and help others toward financial self-sufficiency.
On a lighter note, what are your tastes in music, film and food? For music: Jazz and gospel. Also I play flute and harmonica. My favorite films are The Shawshank Redemption and The Sound of Music. And I love spicy food, Thai and Indian are favorites.
