2025 Boundless Champion of the Year: Bekhym Applegate

Bekhym’s impact at Boundless is not defined by any single moment. It is defined by years of showing up for individuals who need patience, consistency, and someone willing to see beyond behavior and into humanity. At the core of his work is the belief that every behavior tells a story, and every person deserves to be understood beyond what is written on paper.

That belief, lived out every day, is why Bekhym was voted the 2025 Boundless Champion of the Year.

Bekhym joined Boundless in October 2018 as a Behavior Technician at the Newark center. At the time, he did not yet know how deeply the work would shape him. Over the next several years, Bekhym grew alongside the organization, stepping into roles that expanded both his responsibilities and his impact. He became a Lead Behavior Technician, earned his RBT, served as a Clinic Coordinator at Palmer Donovan, and later moved into Behavior Specialist roles, eventually supporting all residential programs. Today, Bekhym is the QIDP Behavior Support Specialist at Kimberly Woods.

Describing his role, Bekhym often explains that he serves as the “teacher at home.” He writes individualized service plans, trains staff, ensures supports are implemented consistently, and helps individuals progress toward goals. It is work that happens both behind the scenes and in the moment, requiring careful planning as well as steady presence when things are challenging.

What keeps Bekhym motivated is not recognition, but the individuals themselves. “I don’t come to work just to get my paycheck,” he shared. “I come to work because I have kids who need me to be able to learn and be successful.” He also sees his work as a reflection of something larger. Showing up fully demonstrates not only care for the individuals supported, but also leadership for colleagues and a reminder that this work matters.

For Bekhym, the most meaningful successes are often the smallest ones. He spoke about an individual at Kimberly Woods who had not been in the community for nine months due to behavioral challenges. With time, consistency, and individualized support, that changed. Last month, the individual successfully went into the community three times, including outings around peers. “It’s really easy for people to focus on the big changes,” Bekhym said. “But it’s the little victories that really stand out to me.”

Those small victories have added up to powerful outcomes. One of Bekhym’s proudest accomplishments this past year involved an individual who had previously required restraints several times a week. Through careful retraining and collaboration with staff, that number was reduced to roughly twice a month. More importantly, the individual regained access to the community and rebuilt relationships with his family. Bekhym shared that the individual’s mother told the team it was the first time in years she had received a simple hug and kiss from her child without it escalating into something else.

At the heart of Bekhym’s approach is compassionate care that goes far beyond theory. He is open about the reality that compassionate care can be difficult in practice, especially when working with individuals who experience intense behavioral and mental health challenges. “When you’re the target of aggression or witnessing self‑injury or elopement, you can forget that these are just dysregulated humans who need help regulating,” he said. Early in his career, Bekhym learned the importance of loving someone through their behaviors and remembering that each individual is someone’s child, sibling, and loved one.

One individual at Kimberly Woods initially could not tolerate staff being in the same room. Over time, trust began to grow. After a crisis, the individual took Bekhym’s hand, sat with him, and pressed their foreheads together. The team now calls them “head hugs,” a quiet but meaningful sign of safety and acceptance. Moments like these remind Bekhym that progress is not only about skills learned, but also about emotional development and trust.

When Bekhym learned he had been named the 2025 Boundless Champion of the Year, his first reaction was disbelief. He shared that he has never done the work for recognition, and that seeing individuals light up when he walks into the room has always been enough. What made the honor meaningful was knowing that coworkers across nearly eight years, including those he no longer works with directly, still remembered his impact on their programs and on the people served.

In a remarkable coincidence, the same day Bekhym received the Champion of the Year call, he also learned that he had been accepted into a PhD program in Healthcare Administration at Capella University. He will finish his master’s degree in psychological research and analysis later this year before beginning the next chapter of his education. It was, as he put it, “a good day.”

When asked what advice he would give to colleagues striving to live out Boundless values, Bekhym emphasized the importance of individuality and self‑compassion. He believes values mean something different to each person, and that supporting others authentically requires taking care of yourself as well. How we speak to ourselves, he noted, shapes how we show up for others.

Through patience, empathy, and an unwavering commitment to understanding the individuals he supports, Bekhym embodies the very best of Boundless. His work has created safety, connection, and possibility for individuals, families, and colleagues alike. That is why he is, without question, the 2025 Boundless Champion of the Year.

This Circle of Champions is about celebrating Boundless’ values—but more than that, it’s about the kind of care and commitment that quietly transforms lives every single day. The Circle of Champions exists because of a belief that the work our staff do matters deeply—not just in outcomes, but in dignity, connection, and possibility. That belief is shared, and powerfully affirmed, by Nancy Nebenzahl and her family. In honoring our Champion of the Year, we also honor the legacy of Peter Nebenzahl—a man who understood, in a very personal way, the profound difference that compassionate, skilled staff can make in the lives of those we serve.

Peter was a champion for his daughter, Katie, and through that love, he became a champion for all who are served by Boundless. Nancy and Peter recognized that behind every meaningful moment of care is a person who shows up—prepared, patient, and fully present. The generosity of their family, choosing to direct memorial gifts to support the staff who carry out this mission every day, reflects both gratitude and trust. We are deeply thankful to the Nebenzahl family—for your partnership, for your belief in this work, and for helping ensure that Peter’s legacy lives on in the people who dedicate themselves to others. And to our honoree today: you embody that legacy. You are the reason this circle exists.