Best Buddies

by Lauren Mulkern
When I entered middle school, I considered what clubs I should start to participate in so when I got to high school, I would have and idea and experience of what I wanted to do.
This is how I first heard of the club Best Buddies. At this point, I only knew that it was a club where you get matched up with a fellow student who has disabilities. I was interested in this club so I decided to join in eighth grade.
It was the first year that Pembroke Community Middle School was open from a recent split from Silver Lake so the club was just getting together.
Even though we only had about seven consistent people who showed up, we had a very successful year where we hosted a talent show and a dance.
I had a fantastic time with the group of people that I wanted to continue participating in the club while in high school.
This year, I am a sophomore and I was chosen to be a peer buddy for a second year in a row. However, I was nervous because my buddy was different from the one that I had when I was a freshmen.
My new buddy’s name is Kelly Jacobs. I think that Mrs. Parrella did an excellent job choosing the pairs. We are both very friendly. Both my buddy and I enjoy hanging out and spending time with each other. We brighten each other’s day when we see each other at lunch or in the hall. The fact that we are so close and understand each other perfectly makes our friendship very successful.
Our friendship has many important aspects. One of these aspects is that we support each other. If one of us has a bad day, we will pick the other one up. This has been very successful throughout the year because we have so much support for each other. We care about each other’s feelings and we help each other when we are having a difficult time. Also, we spend some time each week listening to each other about things that are happening. We connect on a personal level when we discuss how our weeks are going with each other. There are many great aspects of our relationship.
My relationship with Kelly has benefited her so much. Kelly now has a person who she can depend on. When she is feeling sad or is just having a tough time she can discuss the problems with me. She is not afraid to talk to me. She was shy at the beginning of the year when I was first getting to know her and she has opened so much. She is comfortable to come to me and talk about anything and this is what helps her. She feels confident that she has a person to depend on.
Most importantly, this relationship has benefited me. I now understand when people are having difficult times and I am a person that they can talk to. When I am listening to them, I understand where they are coming from. This has helped me because I don’t judge people. Instead, I understand their situations. Also, I have gained patience. Now, I realize that the buddies in my chapter need extra time to talk and complete tasks. This is different from what I am used to. This patience has helped me because I am now a person who people won’t have a difficult time working with on a task. Instead of focusing on the differences that I have with Kelly, I focus on the common interests that we have. This is another thing that has helped me when it comes to judging people. This has been a great thing that has benefited me so much. I appreciate all the new qualities that Kelly has brought out of me.

Best Buddies has been a wonderful opportunity for me to realize that differences are not important, common interests are.
Our Best Buddies chapter is very successful and we do an excellent job making sure everybody is involved. We deserve some recognition for all the hard work that we have done.