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Jazmyn Jenkins: Let's Go Look at the Storms
October 28, 2026
There's Not a Typical Day for a DSP
"You underestimate how much this work is going to impact you," said Jazmyn Jenkins, who found a position as a Direct Support Professional, or DSP, at Living Opportunities five years ago after a string of jobs that never quite fit. "It's built me to be a stronger person," she said, "someone who's more reliable, someone who actually sees what's going on and gets into the details."
Ask her what a typical day looks like, and she'll tell you there isn't one. There are routines, sure, but what fills the space around them changes constantly. "A typical day would be coming in open minded, on your toes, just ready to find something to do." That might mean the movies, a drive, or something as simple as noticing the sky. "Oh, you want to look at the storms today? Let's go look at the storms."
It’s Not a One-Size-Fits-All Situation
That flexibility serves something specific: figuring out what someone actually loves and building the day around it. “It’s finding things that the people we support love to do,” she said, “and saying, let’s plan to do that. Let’s do that today.” It’s a simple idea, but it’s at the center of how she approaches the work.
Much of that comes down to a conviction she returns to often: you can't treat every person the same way. "You can't just one-size-fits-all for the people that you support and you're supposed to care about," she said. Two people she supports might have entirely opposite needs, and meeting them well means resisting the pull toward a fixed routine. "It's not fair to expect them to say, well, it's your routine to get up, get showered, do this, do that," she said. "You have to be human about it."
"Sometimes it's different every day, and that's okay. And that's good." — Jazmyn Jenkins
Build the Bond first
That same instinct shows up in how she reads people who don't communicate the way she does. "If I was frustrated and I couldn't communicate that, how would I say something's really frustrating me?" she said. Without a way to name what's bothering someone, frustration often looks like a certain kind of behavior instead. Jazmyn's approach is to look past the behavior itself: watching body language, noticing what makes someone tense or excited, and asking what they might be trying to say. "I think too often people come in and read the book," she said, referring to the written records kept on the people she supports, "and don't build the bond first."
Jazmyn says the work has changed how she moves through the rest of her life, too. "I've learned a lot of, okay, wait, I don't need to do everything right now," she said. "We can go hang out. Let's go sit in the grass. Let's go chill." That slower pace has taught her something less obvious about the people she supports. She sums up her philosophy simply: "Get to know the person. Learn. Listen. Be patient. Don't jump all in, just be there, show up." Being fully present, she says, is what the job has taught her more than anything else.
"Learn what truly matters to a person," she said, "genuinely matters, not just surface level." — Jazmyn Jenkins, DSP
Browsing fishing rods on a shopping trip.
“It’s Not Just Somewhere You Clock In”
Jazmyn doesn't sugarcoat the harder parts. "You're going to have days that are hard. You're going to have wonderful days as well," she said. Her advice is to give yourself the same grace you'd give someone else. "Don't be too hard on yourself on those bad days. Giving yourself grace and giving them grace is going to get you through. You can't learn when you're beating yourself up."
Starting out, Jazmyn says her biggest obstacle wasn't the work itself, it was doubting whether she belonged there. It took her about six months to move past it, with help from coworkers willing to answer her questions honestly. She tells new DSPs the same thing now: don't let self-doubt talk you out of something that might be exactly where you're meant to be.
"It's not just somewhere you clock in," she said. "It's not just another person you're supporting. It's someone you truly have a bond with, and you care about them, and you want to see the good." Five years in, she has no plans to leave. "I don't know what I would do without this place," she said.
Are you interested in a rewarding career?
Make a Difference Every Day
Looking for meaningful work where you can make a real difference in someone’s life? As a Direct Support Professional (DSP) at Living Opportunities, you’ll support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in building independence, pursuing their goals, and being active members of their communities.
Learn more about becoming a DSP and explore career opportunities at Living Opportunities.
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