Zach found his life direction thanks to The Amigos

Zachary Getsinger might not be where he is today if not for The Five Amigos and their profound influence on his life.

Zach moved to Leavenworth in 2000, right out of college, and for the next 15 years, he took a variety of seasonal work.

“I probably worked 20 jobs,” he said. “I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, career wise. I liked doing a job for a season, and then if I liked it, I‘d do it again the next season. And if I didn’t like it, I could do something new.”

Among his seasonal ventures, Zach worked the ski slopes and drove taxis.

The taxi gig lasted about eight months, and that’s how he first met The Amigos.

The “taxi” was actually a community shuttle, which The Amigos—and others—used to get to around town. The Amigos rode the shuttle to work, to the gym, and various errands.

“Every time, picking up those guys was the best part of the day. It was always the most joyful,” Zach recalls. “They would tell me funny stories about what happened at work and working out, what it was like to live at the Dwelling Place. They were all so close and really liked each other, and they were really fun to be around.”

Sometimes Zach would turn up the stereo and sing along with the guys.

“There were times when the whole bus, everybody, was just singing full on.

Discovering a calling

Eventually, Zach met and married his wife [name] and they started a family. As a husband and father, he wanted to provide his family more stability than he could through rotations of seasonal work. It was time to settle on a definite career direction.

Many people had told him over the years that he should become a teacher. So he began to explore teaching certification. He was particularly drawn to working with special needs children, and he credits The Amigos for helping him realize that calling.

“My one reference point for doing special ed was the great times I had with these guys riding around,” Zach said. “I thought, ‘If I could do more of this—spending time with people who appreciate your time, where it’s very relational and we’re getting to know each other, and sharing our lives—this has a lot of meaning for me.’ I zeroed in on special education, and largely because of their influence. My experience with The Amigos really was the experience I’d had that convinced me it was the route I should go.”

For the past six years now, Zach has been teaching special needs students in high school in Wenatchee. He looks back on Matt Bangsund, one of the Five Amigos, as particularly influential in his ability to relate to nonverbal students.

“Matt Bangsund wasn’t 100 percent verbal, but The Amigos could communicate with him,” Zach remembers. “I watched how they interacted with matt, and I saw they could communicate with him better than I could. So, when I started as a para educator, I worked with a kid who had autism and was nonverbal. He could say some words, but he couldn’t hold a conversation. That was probably the best assignment I ever had.”

Zach’s voice warmed as he described sitting with the student in band class, helping him keep time with the drums, and marching in band parades together. He also attended football games with the student and they played in the pep band.

“We took second in a badminton tournament, and we found out he had great hand-eye coordination, beating the varsity football quarterback and wide receiver,” Zach said. “This kid became so proud of his accomplishments. That experience is directly connected with me witnessing The Amigos communicate together with each other, and what I learned about how to do it and what to focus on.”

Making Leavenworth—and the world—better

The deep integration of The Amigos with their community is a huge asset to Leavenworth, as they influence many people like Zach, he said.

“Those men being present and active out in the community gives something to the community that the community may not be able to put into words,” he said. “I’ve talked to friends of mine about this very point.”

When fellow teachers describe a desire to integrate their classes to include students with high needs, Zach encourages this, arguing, “It’s just as good for those kids without high needs to have relationships with kids with high needs who are managing those needs. We need to have people with high needs be present in the community. And if they’re able to contribute in any way, it’s better for everybody to see them contributing, working jobs, working out, and cheering on teams.

“They bring joy wherever they go,” he went on. “And it’s easy to talk about it and make it sound small. But they do as us much by being out there with us, doing jobs and attending community events, as we do for them. They need help getting along, maybe setting schedules, helping them to get to places, possibly. But while they’re out there in the community, they’re blessing the community with their presence and effort and attitudes.

“My experience working with men from the Dwelling Place has been that I see how joyful they are going about their lives, how much they enjoy each other and how important their community and friendships are to them. I see them doing their best in their work, although they have a bunch of needs I don’t have. I ought to be grateful for the blessings I have and at least spread the same kind of joy, or at least try to.”