GREAT FALLS — Big Sandy senior Jai Baumann and Box Elder senior Alyssa Dubois are a package deal. For most of their lives it’s been rare to find one without the other, whether on road trips, at sporting events or on the dance floor.
They’re each other’s best friend and advocate.
“I met Alyssa 15 years ago when I was like 3,” Baumann said. "Alyssa is, like, the most perfect human ever. She's so adorable. She's so happy. So nice. Very loving. She's a great aunt to my little brother. She's just amazing.”
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Alyssa has Down syndrome and is non-verbal. But she doesn’t need words to communicate how much she loves and appreciates Jai. It’s written on her face whenever they’re together.
Their relationship provided the foundation that led to the start of the Box Elder Special Olympics team.
“About six years ago in science class, and my teacher told me about how her brother was in Special Olympics,” Jai recalled. “And I thought that was super cool. So I went home and told my mom about it and thought that we should get Alyssa involved.”
Jai’s mom, Annie Baumann, had a lot on her plate at the time. She and her husband Travis were raising four children, while also juggling full-time teaching and coaching jobs.
“It never really occurred to me to take on more,” Annie said. "And Jai was the one who was like, 'No, we will and we can’, and I’m so glad she did.”
In 2019, the Baumanns worked with her employers at Box Elder Schools to form a Special Olympics Montana team with Alyssa as the only member. In 2020, they added a second member in Angel LaRocca. Over time Annie handed over many of her coaching duties to Jai.
"I just help take them around everywhere. I take them on trips, I help Alyssa practice, go swim sometimes with them,” Jai said. “I just like to help out a lot.”
That has allowed Annie to focus more on coordinating the program.
"I can just sort of work on getting all the balls rolling while Jai handles the coaching part, and it's such a relief,” Annie said. "And like, the kids work really well with Jai and she just takes it all on, and she just does it.”
As you can imagine, Jai is a busy high school senior. On the weekend of the CMR Area Spring Games she had a track meet in Choteau on Thursday, spent Friday working with the Box Elder team at the games and then went to prom in Box Elder on Saturday.
But she’ll always manage to show up for the athletes no matter what is going on in her life.
“She’s waiting at the finish line for them. She's the one getting them to the starting line and she comes to every single one of our events, whether it's for fun or coaching,” Annie said. "She’s there and she's our leader.”
So it’s fitting that Jai was recently named the 2024 Special Olympics Montana Youth Volunteer of the Year for her tireless work supporting the Bears. She was surprised with the award at the regional bowling event in Great Falls in February.
"I had no idea. It was really exciting. I wasn't expecting it,” Jai said. “I don’t need recognition, but it was still so special. It made me feel really good.”
This is a pivotal year for Box Elder. Both Jai and Alyssa are graduating from high school. Jai is considering a year at MSU-Northern to complete her general classes before looking to transfer to a different college while Alyssa is taking a job working in the kitchen at Box Elder Public Schools.
The team might look different next year, but the foundation for what the Bears can be and accomplish has been well established by Jai.
“I couldn’t do this without her, but I’m going to have to learn very soon,” Annie said. “But she’s taught me a lot."
