Today, for the 31st day of the "Women’s History Month" project, we are celebrating this beautiful and amazing woman

Meet Tricia Welch - Age 46, Boy mom, wife, daughter, school counselor, skier, wake-surfer, runner, and adventurer!

“If I want my children to be wonderful, I need to aim for wonderful, too.  I need to be the person I hope they will be.” 

Tricia was born outside of Boston in Medford Massachusetts and moved at the age of three to a small town, about 35 miles north of Boston, Windham, NH.  She spent her childhood days playing outside with her two younger brothers and cousins that lived next door- bike riding, fort building, catching frogs, sledding, and flashlight tag were among some of her favorite childhood activities.  

Her family enjoyed being active together and would spend summer days on their family boat water skiing, tubing, and trying to set a record for the longest ride on the SkiBob without being launched into the water.

In the winter months, Tricia and her family loved to ski. They spent many winter vacations at Wildcat Mountain in NH with cousins, aunts, and uncles. 

If her parents had a motto to live by, it would have been, “Work hard, play hard.” Her dad often worked 6 days a week, but when he had a day off he was ready to rally the family and go on an adventure.  

The love of adventures and being active outdoors continued to influence Tricia in her young adult life.  After graduating from the University of Maine at Orono with a Bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a double minor in developmental disabilities and human development, Tricia embarked on a new adventure - "I took off with two friends and drove across the country for the summer. We made memories, laughed, and learned valuable life lessons that can only be experienced through travel and exploration." Says Tricia.

Being a young 20-year-old, free-spirit, Tricia wasn’t quite ready to settle into her teaching career, she knew at an early age that she wanted to work with children and help shape and guide them, but she wanted to continue exploring and decided to follow a life long dream of becoming a ski instructor in Colorado.  She applied for a graduate student program at Crested Butte Ski Resort in Colorado.  She was hired to work in the adaptive ski program as an instructor for children with disabilities including skiers who were blind, deaf, and mono-skiers.  She become certificated as a level two ski instructor and stayed out west for 5 years- teaching skiing, working as a teaching assistant in the schools, and waitressing.  "It was an experience I will never forget."  Says Tricia.

In her late twenties, Tricia decided it was time to move home and be closer to her family.  She was offered her first teaching position as a 6th-grade teacher in Windham, NH. She also coached cross-country and become the ski club advisor for the middle school.  She loved teaching and continued to teach for the next 15 years. Some of her teaching experiences include;  a 7th-grade math teacher, an 8th-grade English teacher, and a 3rd-grade teacher. Tricia went back to school to get her Master’s degree in school counseling and has been a school counselor at the elementary level for the past 5 years.  

Tricia met her husband Aaron in 2006 and relocated to Saco, Maine.  They have two wonderful boys Luke (12), Cody (10), and an adorable yellow lab, Chloe.  Tricia instilled a love for skiing in her boys, and now she has a hard time keeping up with them.  They enjoy boating and fishing in the summer, and as a family has taken up the sport of wake-surfing.  

"Of all the adventures I had experienced in life, my favorite is being a wife and mom.  Skiing a day in the powder with my boys, or boating and wake-surfing as a family in the summer is my favorite way to spend the day!"  

She feels blessed to have a happy healthy life and truly believes that God has protected and guided her.  She is a woman of faith and has a strong sense of spirituality. She feels as a mother the best gift she can give her children is the gift of faith.  One of her favorite quotes is a proverb from the bible:  

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” Proverbs 3:5–6

She often finds comfort in the quote, “Worry less, pray more”.   

Other quote that Tricia lives by, 

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines! Sail away from safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore."  -Mark Twain 

*****

Thank you, Tricia, for sharing your story and empowering others!

#womenshistorymonth #womansupportingwomen #womanpower #mainephotographer