Customer Spotlight: Jesse Talks Special Olympics, YouTubing, and D&D!

We’re excited to kick off our new “Customer Spotlight” series, where we celebrate the voices, achievements, and experiences of the incredible individuals we serve at Community Pathways. In each post, we’ll be featuring a different customer and share a bit about who they are, what they’re working toward, and what brings them joy. Stay tuned as we get to know some of the amazing people who make up our community!

This July, our Administrative and Communications Specialist, Loren, connected with one of our long-time CPI customers, Jesse. In this interview, Jesse shares about his experience participating and being a mentor in the Oregon Special Olympics and how he got started with his YouTube channel, and gives a special shout-out to his fellow D&D fans!

Jesse at the 2025 Special Olympics Oregon this July.

When asked what it was like competing in the Special Olympics, the first thing that Jesse said was: “It was not easy!” The competition consisted of two days of running, jumping, and throwing, and the preparation was just as intense. According to Jesse, the training consisted of, “lots of running, lots of practice, and even outside of practices, I was still doing something.” On the day of the competition, the hot weather made things even more difficult.

Luckily, this wasn’t Jesse’s first time at the games. In fact, he’s been a part of the Oregon Special Olympics for years. “I’ve been collecting medals pretty much since day one. I’ve got a whole wall full of them,” he said. In addition to his own achievements, one of Jesse’s biggest points of pride has been helping others. “I’ve been training a little protégé.  I’m proud of that kid. He actually made history as the first pentathlon youth.” The pentathlon, he explained, is made up of five events: the 100-meter run, long jump, shot put, high jump, and 400-meter run. 

When asked what advice he would give someone who wants to try the Special Olympics Oregon but might feel nervous, Jesse said, “Take that first step. Basically, that’s what you can do in every aspect of life. It’s how I started my YouTubing. It took a thousand miles, but you’re never going to make those miles if you don’t take that first step.”

The Special Olympics celebrated 56 years in 2025!

Jesse’s YouTube journey began all the way back in 2013, by his best estimate. “Over the years, you kind of lose track,” he reflected. “Now I’m well over 1,000 followers, which I call ammonites.” The name comes from his love of dragons, dinosaurs, and the deep sea. “I had to think of a way to combine all three of them as a mascot, and I came up with ammonites.” His channel, yenguyandfriends, includes parodies, top 10 lists, nostalgic nods to old games, and even digital puppetry, known as “V-tubing.” Over time, his channel has evolved into more than just entertainment. “Since there are a lot of things out there in the mainstream that are not so good, I wanted to be an alternative to it. It started as a casual fun thing, but the more I did it and the more things that I’ve seen, the more I felt responsible to give a little something that people can actually look forward to. I do what I can.”

Even though keeping up with YouTube can be hard, Jesse enjoys it. “There’s a lot of projects that I want to get going on, but it’s kind of hard when you’re trying to balance YouTubing with real life. It can be daunting sometimes, but it’s worthwhile.”

Beyond athletics and gaming, Jesse also enjoys playing Dungeons & Dragons, and he made it very clear that he is not a dragon-born player but is, in fact, “FULLY dragon.” When asked if this is something that D&D players would understand, he responded with an emphatic “yes!”

Join our “Customer Spotlight” Series!

Customers of Community Pathways are invited to share their stories and help amplify the voices, achievements, and experiences of the individuals we serve.

Want to share your story? Let us know! Contact your Personal Agent, or email us at info@communitypath.org. Our Administrative & Communications Specialist will follow-up with you to schedule a time to talk with you and ask questions about:

• Who you are

• What you’re working on (whether its a job, favorite activity, or specific goal)

• What brings you joy

We look forward to hearing from you!