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Damen Taylor ’95

Damen Taylor ’95 was the featured speaker at the February 4 Ruth A. Miller Senior Business Seminar. Taylor has 30 years of experience in the field of non-profit and governmental accounting. He also serves as the vice president of the Thiel College Alumni Association and has been a frequent speaker on campus, both in this class and at other venues.

“Vibrant. That is the one word I would use to describe Damen Taylor, better known as DT. As soon as I walked into the room, I was greeted by a man who radiated confidence, and my anxiety flew out the door. He was so extremely kind and immediately started the conversation, and there was never an awkward pause to be had. By the end of the night, I felt as though I had known him my whole life.“ Makenna Oswalt ’26

“It was a great moment for me personally that he already knew who I was before I introduced myself, and the fact that we had already been connected on LinkedIn made his visit even more personal for me.” Raegan Nelson ’26

“He started off his speech with his elevator pitch about who he was, what his degree is in, and that we would have fun during this speech. Next, he had us line up in alphabetical order by first name. After we got that right, he made us line up by birthdays, but we couldn’t talk to each other. Doing these two activities taught us all how to communicate, adapt, and learn.” Priscilla Ehrensberger ’26

“Damen is originally from McKeesport in Pittsburgh and found his love of accounting through his mom. He later moved to Peters Township, where his football coach, who went to Thiel, put the idea of Thiel into his head. He later found out that his father also went to Thiel.” Trey Grazier ’27

“He also played football at Thiel as a defensive tackle. His coach gave him the nickname “DT” as his coach said, ‘We have Damen Taylor playing as a defensive tackle and from now on we will be calling him DT.” Dwayne Simpkins ’26

“He shared that he is from McKeesport, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh, and that he is a first-generation college student, the first in his family to graduate from college. He graduated in 1995 and double-majored in Business Administration and Accounting. He spoke honestly about his experiences with failure and setbacks, emphasizing that what matters most is not giving up and continuing to move forward.” Miyeon Lee ’26

“While his stories were much more colorful than some we have heard before, they still had similar themes. He, like the rest of our speakers, emphasized the family and connections they made at Thiel, as well as how they got him through the rest of his life so far. Taylor did not have the “picture perfect” academic career, and credits much of his success to someone who was willing to take a chance on him, like Professor Ligo.” Kendall McLaughlin ’26

“He shared experiences from early in his career, including facing rejection when applying for jobs. Rather than giving up, Taylor taught himself new skills, such as Excel, and continued working until he found the right opportunity. He emphasized the importance of honesty, reminding us never to lie in the workplace and to always take pride in the work we do.” Sara Owens ’26

“His four Fs were Focus, Faith, Family, and Finish and he mentioned that those helped him navigate the hard times and life in general.” Brett Channell ’27

“His message about focus resonated with me the most. Damen shared that our focus will determine our reality and shared a story about teaching his granddaughter how to skate. She was not grasping skating at first, but when he told her to stop focusing on the fact that she was falling and to start focusing on skating, she quickly improved. This felt refreshing to hear because I often get stuck on the mistakes I make, instead of continuing to focus on my final goal and why I am here. He explained that through hard work and perseverance, our reality will become our focus.” Giovanna Franz ’27

“Family is something that obviously means a lot to Damen; not just his family by blood, but also his family that he met through Thiel. He expressed that ‘Tomcats take care of each other; that’s what we do.’ He mentioned how the people who are successful now used to be us; they sat in the same classrooms and the same seats as we do today. For me, this really puts into perspective the fact that I, too, have the capability to become someone successful in the future.” Loren Byler ’26

“The one thing that really stuck out to me from Taylor’s presentation was the importance of confidence. Specifically, when he mentioned the importance of believing you belong in any room you walk into, as well as when he stressed keeping promises to yourself, finishing what you start, and focusing on the big picture rather than getting stuck on short-term setbacks.” Lindsey Pearce ’27

“He reminded us that others once sat in the same seats we do now and went on to become doctors, lawyers, and more. For some reason, this made me feel less small and helped me realize how bright and big my future can be, as long as I remember my Four F’s.” Giovanna Franz ’27

“He also introduced the ‘Good, Fast, Cheap’ model regarding career and interviews. He explained that if you prove yourself to be both ‘good’ and ‘fast at what you do, you won't be ‘cheap,’ meaning you will be valued and compensated fairly.” Eunseo Lee ’26

“His larger-than-life personality is a pleasure to be around, and I feel that there is a lot to be learned from his attitude. If most people were to be half as charismatic as Damen, they would make it significantly further in life.” Spencer Cleary ’27

“Overall, I thought Mr. Taylor’s lecture was very insightful, and entertaining, which made for a great evening of class.” Kendall McLaughlin ’26

“One last thing I want to talk about was not said but was seen. The passion that Damen had for Thiel and how it had changed his life. I could tell that this place truly changed his life for the better, and the way he loves Thiel College is how I love Thiel College.” Priscilla Ehrensberger ’26

“I have never met a person who loves Thiel as much as Damen. He’s genuinely passionate about the college, its students, and its educators. I think Damen should definitely be a speaker that returns every year because he is truly something special.” Makenna Oswalt ’26

Lessons Learned

• “Walk into the room like you own it. Have that confidence.” Preston Lefkowitz ’27
• “Confidence is essential, fake it until you make it if you must.” Spencer Cleary ’27
• “Believe in yourself.” Giovanna Franz ’27
• “Master your elevator speech.” Trey Grazier ’27
• “Life will be hard, and there will be obstacles. But this is life—keep going, and you will be great.” Miyeon Lee ’26
• “Challenges and setbacks are part of growth, but persistence leads to opportunity.” Sara Owens ’26
• “If you start something, then you must finish it.” Dwayne Simpkins ’26
• “The way you do the little things is the way you do everything.” Lorene Byler ’26
• “Be good and fast. Then, you will not be cheap.” Miyeon Lee ’26
• “Imagine what you’ll know tomorrow.” Brett Channell ’27
• “Always have faith in God that you can do all things and that He’s with you through thick and thin no matter what you’re going through.” Dwayne Simpkins ’26
• “Tomcats take care of each other.” Lindsey Pearce ’27

Dinner “Dishing”

• “Dinner was a fun experience! I was seated next to Damen Taylor for dinner. It was fun listening to him tell many stories from before, during, and after Thiel. Damen included me in every conversation, which I appreciated because I am typically quiet around people I’m not familiar with. “ Raegan Nelson ’26
• “This dinner was truly one of my favorite educational experiences at Thiel. Damen Taylor is a man who lights up whatever room he walks into, and eating dinner with him made me feel like I was a part of his family.” Makenna Oswalt ’26
• “The dinner was salad, haddock with risotto, and a lemon dessert. I loved the choice for dinner; I am a seafood lover through and through. The lemon dessert was new and something I had never had before, but I was pleasantly surprised. During the dessert, they gave me my lemon custard with a candle, and they sang me happy birthday. I am grateful for this class and Professor Witosky.” Priscilla Ehrensberger ’26
• “AVI did an amazing job as usual. It was nice to talk to Ms. Liz Prada and hear about her Thiel story. She was very nice and I was glad that she could make it. Overall, the dinner experience was even better than the last one I attended. I am excited to be able to go to more dinners and continue having great experiences.” Trey Grazier ’27