Ty Tejada-Velez

My name is Ty Tejada, the founder of The Hue Brothers painting company. I would like to share with you a little bit about myself, how my childhood dreams have come true, and how my roots impact my life to make me who I am today.

I was born in the Dominican Republic in the small town of Cabrera located in the northeast part of my country facing the Atlantic Ocean. The beauty of its lakes, rivers, beaches, and crystal-clear waters make my hometown one of the most beautiful destinations in the country. I cannot express with words how amazing the fragrance of the ocean is in coastal towns such as Cabrera.

I am the youngest of three boys. My father's name is Felix Ramon. He is a man with courage, dreams, and goals. He worked hard to finish his college education, which amazingly he had to do by mail because he could not afford to travel to college. With his degree, he opened up his own practice to become the first veterinarian in town. His devotion, love, and strong work ethic gave him recognition not just in Cabrera, but even as far as distant townships. Carmen Velez, my mother, was a stay-at-home mother. She has been a respected leader in the church community for many years. She taught me the value of caring for others and seeking the good in people rather than focusing on their faults. My two older brothers, Bildo and Dayan, and I are blessed to have the parents we have and to have grown up in a family-oriented environment. Because of our parents, I am devoted to what I do, and I try to go beyond expectations to satisfy my clients. I value respect, communication, responsibility, and above all honesty in my work environment. Also, I believe in treating others how I would like to be treated. That is the reason I go the extra mile to satisfy and make my clients happy.

In my early years, I was fascinated by the American movies that I watched on my father's VCR from time to time. At the age of eight, those movies inspired me to pursue learning English, and from that point on I started dreaming about a life in America. I remember specifically my mom told me "You were born in the wrong country" because all my aspirations were here in the U.S.A.

So what brought me here? When I was 20 years old, I worked as a waiter in a resort. I felt like the luckiest guy in town because I was working and making new friends with the visitors from my dreamland, America. After years working there, I met a family from Michigan with whom I made a strong connection from day one. By the end of their stay at the resort, we had shared contact information, and we discussed the possibility of me visiting them here in the States. Somehow, I was able to obtain a travel visa to visit my new friends. I was finally here! I felt like I was bursting with joy with all the new things I was experiencing. It was more amazing than I could ever imagine in my dreams. 

The time to return to the Dominican Republic came near, but my friends wanted me to stay in the U.S. They asked me what they could do to help me stay. I told them I would like to get a student visa to finish my degree here as I had always wanted to study abroad. The very next day, we started the process of getting me registered at Washtenaw Community College. The process was tedious, but we were able to make it happen. 

I started as a full-time student at the beginning of 2015. I could somewhat communicate with people, but I did not know how to read and write in English very well. It was frustrating and challenging, which brought much doubt at times. But I remembered how hard my father worked through his challenges to get his degree, and I was determined to fight and push through it. With my determination and the help of my American mother, I soon ended up being one of the best students in all of my English classes. Though there were more challenges I would have to face in the years ahead, I persevered.

A month into my semester I found a part-time job and I tried to be as involved as I could with my student life by joining clubs to meet students like me. I then decided to do an internship at a friend’s painting company because I always liked the business. I spent five years learning the business and growing in the company, but I wanted more.

In 2020 I had made one of my dreams come true as I graduated with an Associate degree at W.C.C. and a Bachelor's degree at Eastern Michigan University in Business. By then I  was already working on another dream of mine, which was to open my own painting company. The foundation I was raised on and the journey I have taken had led me to this opportunity.  I am a Dominican entrepreneur who is proud and blessed to be living my dream, but I will continue to work diligently in the days ahead to earn your respect and trust.

I could not be more blessed with the life I have here.  Still, I know I would have not gotten here without being true to myself, my family, and my faith. Yes, the road was tough, but I would never change anything about my journey. I am who I am, and I am where I am today because of the things I went through before. Most importantly, I give thanks to the grace of God.