I wanted to join the NOVA YPB because since 2013, Special Olympics has played a very influential role in my life. Prior to moving to Virginia in August of 2018, I lived in Michigan (the state that I grew up in). My work was overseeing the recreational sports programs at Central Michigan University (CMU). At CMU, through a partnership with Special Olympics Michigan, we became the first university in the world to have Special Olympics Unified Sports as an university-recognized intramural league in the fall of 2013. Once I experienced Unified, I knew that it would always be a part of my life. I didn’t realize then that my career would center around it, but in 2018 I accepted a job with Special Olympics North America and moved to NoVa because the office was based out of Washington, DC. I continued to look for opportunities to connect with local Special Olympics programs including playing Unified Sports with Special Olympics DC. When my teammate, Jerry Holy, told me about NOVA YPB, it seemed like a great way to build a connection with Special Olympics Virginia and to continue to meet new people of similar age and interests.