Before Jack joined Best Buddies in 2015, he was left feeling lonely, and bored. He found himself struggling to find activities that he enjoyed and found it difficult to participate with his peers. Thankfully, he has always had the support of his mom, dad, and younger triplet siblings but that wasn’t always enough. Jack wanted to have more of a connection with his classmates. After joining the Best Buddies chapter at Johnston High School, he has made so many new friends and has found activities that he is passionate about! He loves to draw and has been featured in various art shows and contests, played the title character in the adapted theater production of “Moonboy” at his high school, and he plays on the Yankee’s baseball team for Kiwanis Miracle League! By being a student leader in Best Buddies and the Inclusion Revolution, Jack has become an advocate for not only himself but for people with IDD as well!

It is very important to Jack that people with IDD never feel alone. “Do not doubt yourself, and be confident in who you are. Let your disability make you stronger. Just because someone looks different, or has a disability, doesn’t make them truly different. It does not define who they are! You know what defines who I am? My confidence! My abilities, not my disabilities! And how I treat others. I for one will not stand for people with disabilities being called names or being made fun of ANYMORE! I will always live by the words dream, dare, do. No matter what people say, I will not stop dreaming, I will not stop daring myself to dream and I will not stop following my dreams. Anybody can live by these words. Because all of us are equal and great friends who can count on each other when it’s needed the most.”