There’s no mistaking the passion in 17-year-old wrestler Jake Welch. Reaching far beyond his sport and into a depth of character uncommon among his peers, it extends to faith and family, care for his two brothers with disabilities and volunteer leadership for The Arc of Snohomish County, funded through United Way, and the local Developmental Disabilities Citizen Advisory Board.
Growing up with his mother and two younger brothers while watching his military father accept posts throughout the world, Jake helped his mother take on the responsibilities of child and home care in his father’s frequent absence. As the only child without disabilities – one brother has Tourette’s Syndrome, the other Williams Syndrome – he has made countless sacrifices that his mother, Tracy, recognizes have fashioned his robust moral fiber.
“He has grown up so much faster than others his age, with strong morals, compassion and maturity,” she said. “He really understands struggle and has developed a unique perspective for relating to others.”
Away from home, this is evident at the Arc’s annual Sibshops events. Jake volunteers for these annual weekend getaways, giving kids who have siblings with disabilities the opportunity for undivided time and attention, complete with activities and conversation focused completely on them.
Offered through the Sibling Support program of The Arc of Snohomish County, Sibshops are invaluable for esteem building, something Jake knows firsthand. He himself participated for two years before becoming an extremely popular youth volunteer, known as much for his fun-loving leadership as for his insightful empathy.
“These kids often feel overlooked as parents understandably attend to their sibling’s special needs,” he explained. “Sibshops help them get away for a day that we plan around what the kids want to do. Whether that means swimming, water gun fights or talking through their unique issues, it’s all about them.”