Inclusion and more

In honor of a open-ended discussion the Best Buddies YLC had on their conference call about what motivates them, I thought I'd elaborate on what motivates me on my blog. Anthony Kennedy Shriver  motivates me to do all I do for Best Buddies. He has motivated me to do all I do for Best Buddies since I met him at Leadership Conference 2011.  He's an inspiration to me.  A highlight of my summer at LC is seeing him and taking a picture with him.  The fact that he started Best Buddies at Georgetown University in 1989 and that is has grown into such a huge organization is an inspiration to many participants. Anthony Kennedy Shriver and I at LC 2011 Developing friendships through Best Buddies motivates me to stay involved in Best Buddies since I get to know participants stories. I really enjoy chatting with participants who I have met during Leadership Conference or Best Buddies AZ events throughout the year. Many of the friendships I have formed are ...

Over the past few years, I have gone out on to a public speaking circuit for the Best Buddies program and as a result I have had multiple opportunities to educate audiences about Best Buddies, disability awareness and Spread the Word to End the Word. Through my speeches, I have been able to educate people about how exceptional the Best Buddies chapter at Chaparral High School in Arizona is.  I have gotten our chapter on the map with Best Buddies International and Best Buddies Arizona. I'm hoping to get us on the map again this summer by being one of the four Buddy Ambassadors who gets to speak in front of 1,700 people during Closing Ceremonies during the 26th Annual Best Buddies International Leadership Conference at Indiana University in Bloomington, IN! How cool would that be if Chaparral wins Outstanding Chapter and I am selected to speak as well? In my opinion, it'd be a touchdown for Best Buddies Arizona and Chaparral High School's Best Buddies chapter. I have dec...

In honor of Best Buddies Month, which is almost over, I will be highlighting exceptional Best Buddies participants who truly are all stars within Best Buddies. I will be doing this series of blog posts for most of April since I got a late start and I feel that the Best Buddies mission should be celebrated every month. This week, I would like to introduce you to Erica Brody, former Young Leaders Council chair and current Young Leaders Council Alumni Engagement Officer. Erica recently raised over $3,000 for the Best Buddies Young Leaders Council through her fundraiser to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro.  Erica and I have been friends for three years now. Erica and I originally met during Leadership Conference in July 2012 when I was at the conference as a Buddy Ambassador for BBAZ.  Following that year, we spent time together during LC 2013. She was able to be there for me when I got overwhelmed by the schedule set for the Young Leaders Council. Last summer when I saw her at LC 2014 I gav...

Best Buddies Ambassadors is one of Best Buddies programs that allows people with disabilities to be leaders in their schools and communities. Many states such as Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Wisconsin and Texas have Ambassador boards. They lead trainings about speech writing, self-advocacy and getting fit.  Ambassadors have the opportunity to attend the Best Buddies International Leadership Conference and participate in the Ambassador training tracks- Individual speaking and buddy pair speaking!  Below are a few highlights of exceptional Buddy Ambassadors: Wayne Reed from Best Buddies Maryland speaks on stage during Leadership Conference 2013 Buddy Ambassador Wayne Reed from Best Buddies Maryland has gone on a public speaking circuit. Wayne first spoke during Leadership Conference 2013. He shared a powerful speech about how having autism makes him feel awesome and how Best Buddies changed his life. He spoke during the Audi Best Buddies Challenge Washington, D...

The Best Buddies chapter at Western Kentucky University is truly a shining example of the Best Buddies chapter. This year the chapter is led by Chapter President Katherine Devine who serves on the Best Buddies International Young Leaders Council. Katherine deserves on the Leadersihp Conference committee for the YLC and has done a great job this year. The chapter had three officers in attendance at the 25th Annual Best Buddies Leadership Conference in July 2014. WKU Best Buddies gets their buddies from the Buddy House. WKU Best Buddies truly prides itself in showing inclusion. Katherine was voted on the WKU Homecoming Court at the top 10%! Katherine had her friend Junior Morgan, who has Down Syndrome escort her. WKU's chapter hosts many annual events. They host a Match Party at the Patch, during which buddy pairs get to meet each other. They also host a Christmas party with the Chi Omega fraternity.  This chapter also participated in the WKU Homecoming Parade.  As you mig...

Back in 1989, Anthony Kennedy Shriver founded Best Buddies at Georgetown University since he saw a need for people with disabilities to interact with their peers without disabilities.  The Georgetown University Best Buddies chapter continues to thrive.  Since its founding Best Buddies International has grown from one original chapter to over 1,500 high school, middle school and college chapters worldwide. The program offers their main office in Miami, Florida. The Best Buddies organization has a mission to pair people with and without disabilities in one-to-one friendships, create opportunities for leadership development and integrated employment. Best Buddies has eight formal programs- Best Buddies middle schools, Best Buddies high schools, Best Buddies Colleges, Best Buddies Promoters, Best Buddies Ambassadors and  eBuddies.  In Arizona, the program was established by Brophy College Preparatory a few years ago. Brophy's Best Buddies program is...