Students Bond With Their Best Buddies - Best Buddies Massachusetts

by KATIE RODGERS
The News Journal
December 14, 2008

The News Journal/GARY EMEIGH

Joe Walker (clockwise from top), Brianna Vascos, Alice Murphy, Josh Guessford and Mitchell Moore are members of Dover High's Best Buddies group. The chapter, which pairs a special needs student with a high school peer, has more than 40 members at the school.

DOVER -- This fall, Joe Walker, a 19-year-old special needs student at Dover High School, made a new best friend, Mitchell Moore.

My favorite thing is to be in school and hang out with my man Mitchell," Walker said. "We like the same things -- he's like my brother."

Moore, a freshman football player, and Walker met through the Best Buddies Organization, a new program at Dover High to enhance the lives of people with intellectual disabilities by providing them with one-on-one friendships. The program is the first of its kind in the state.

Walker and Moore both said their friendship is real and meaningful to them.

Moore said they eat lunch together every Friday at school, where they talk about sports. Walker also likes to watch Moore play football, and they plan to go bowling together soon. Moore said his favorite part of the program is spending time with Walker, who has taught him to be more open-minded and caring.

"All my life, I've always thought about myself, sports and school, and I just wanted to do something for somebody else and make their life better," he said. "Joe has taught me not to judge people by their appearance. It's not about what they look like or what they wear, or what type of disability they may have, it's about who they are."

Junior Josh Guessford worked with teachers Pam Johnson and Wendy Reed-Ridgeway to bring the Best Buddies program to Dover High because he wanted a program that would help to unite special needs students and their peers.

"We are all people, we all have emotions and everyone needs a friend," he said. "It's showing the entire school and people in our community that this is true."

The students are partnered according to surveys they fill out regarding their interests, hobbies and extracurricular activities. The Best Buddies Dover chapter has more than 40 members, some of whom still are waiting to be paired up.

The program meets once a month after school for the buddies to attend group activities and chapter meetings. The buddies commit to talking weekly and spending time together inside and outside of school. Reed-Ridgeway said the program has been beneficial to both sets of students, and genuine relationships have been formed.

The Best Buddies program differs from other school clubs, she said, because of its emphasis on friendship and respect.

"It makes me feel good to watch the variety of kids working together so well," Reed-Ridgeway said. "I love watching them laugh. It helps them understand that even if you are different, or don't have a lot of friends, you still need to be treated the same."

Junior Brianna Vascos said she decided to participate in the Best Buddies program to work with special needs students. She enjoys spending time with her buddy, Alice Murphy, 18, and likes to bring her cupcakes and cookies at school.

"I can't help but to be friends with her," Vascos said. "It has helped me to be more of a positive person and accept everything. I am who I am and she is who she is, and no matter what, we have to accept each other."

The girls are planning a trip to the mall soon and also are looking forward to a bowling trip with the rest of the group.

Reed-Ridgeway said the Best Buddies program will be a permanent fixture at Dover High.

"We have a lot of support from the school," she said. "The special education kids are really excited because they're not interacting with the regular education students all the time. To see a peer buddy is exciting to them -- their eyes light up. It's given them more confidence."

Thanks to the program and his new buddy, Walker said he enjoys coming to school every day.

"I can be the king of kings now," he said, "because I have school, my family and my friend."

Contact Katie Rogers at 324-2894 or krogers@delawareonline.com