Eugene & Abel

The Story of Eugene & Abel

Eugene had been a Seahawks fan since he was six months old.

Born in Pensacola, he moved to Seattle when he was just two months old and grew up in his grandparents’ home, surrounded by Elvis records and football Sundays. By his teenage years, he could talk about nearly every era of the Seahawks with anyone. He showed up to games decked out from head to toe in Seahawks gear, complete with game rings. His passion for the team wasn’t just something he enjoyed. It shaped his dream for the future.

At 18 years old, Eugene met Mike Flood, Vice President of the Seattle Seahawks organization and recipient of a humanitarian award. He handed Mike his résumé, hoping it would be the first step toward his dream.

But around that same time, someone told Eugene something that changed the direction of his life. If he used employment resources, he would lose his benefits, his housing, and the support system his grandparents had built around him.

So he believed a real job wasn’t possible.

For years, that belief stayed with him. His grandparents, wanting what they believed was best for him, eventually helped him move into an adult home. Eugene accepted it because he didn’t believe there was another path forward.

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Everything changed when someone through the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) told Eugene the truth. Employment resources were available to him, and he didn’t have to choose between work and the support system he depended on.

His case manager, Kyle, connected him with Northwest Center’s Employment Services program and strongly advocated on his behalf. Around the same time, Mike Flood also recommended Northwest Center. Two different people, from two different directions, pointed Eugene toward the same opportunity.

That’s where he met Abel Kellam.

Like every client entering Northwest Center’s Employment Services program, Eugene was asked a simple question.

“What’s your dream job?”

Eugene’s answer was immediate.

He wanted to work for the Seahawks.

Abel didn’t have connections in professional sports. Eugene did.

Over the years, Eugene had built relationships with people throughout the Seahawks organization. What he needed wasn’t new connections. He needed someone to help turn the relationships he already had into a strategy.

So Abel made him a deal.

Abel would continue lining up interviews, and Eugene would compile every Seahawks contact he had.

Together, they drafted emails, turned friendly contacts into professional ones, and made the ask.

Along the way, Eugene interviewed for other jobs. Too often, employers directed their questions to Abel instead of Eugene, talking past the person they were interviewing. It was a reminder that finding meaningful employment isn’t only about having the right qualifications. Sometimes it’s about being given the chance to demonstrate them.

None of it stopped Eugene.

He kept interviewing. He kept building his list of contacts. Together, he and Abel continued moving toward the goal Eugene had held onto since childhood.

The Seahawks hired him.

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Today, Eugene works at Lumen Field on game days, surrounded by fans who share his passion for the team he’s supported his entire life.

“It’s not about selling the merchandise. It’s about me being where I wanted to be.”

Abel sees it every game day.

“He’s not selling merch to fans,” Abel says. “He’s bringing fans to the merch.”

For Eugene, every conversation starts with a shared love of the Seahawks. His knowledge of the team’s history, players, and traditions helps him connect with fans in a way that’s uniquely his own.

Outside of work, Eugene recently moved back into his family home. He’s engaged. He enjoys going to the movies, spending time at the mall, and building a life he once believed wasn’t possible.

When Northwest Center’s marketing lead, Teri Bauer, asked what life would look like without Northwest Center, Eugene didn’t hesitate.

He said he’d probably still be living in the adult home, “sitting at home, but still believing the same old things.”

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Eugene’s story reflects a philosophy that guides Northwest Center’s approach to employment.

As Northwest Center CEO Gene Boes explains:

“We encourage employers to suspend disbelief, and focus first on ability and skill, not disability. When you give people a real shot, they will show you what was always there.”

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For Eugene, the biggest change wasn’t simply getting a job.

It was learning that the barriers he believed existed didn’t have to define his future.

Northwest Center didn’t create Eugene’s passion, knowledge, or determination. Those qualities had always been there. They helped remove the barriers that stood between Eugene and the future he wanted to build.

Today, Eugene’s dream of working for the Seahawks is no longer something he imagined for the future.