Buddy program builds bonds of friendship, appreciation, and understanding

With differing schedules, preconceived beliefs, and a tendency to stick with the same groups of friends, it can be difficult at the high school level to connect with new people. However, a partnership between the special education department and Global Academy attempts to bridge this gap. Approximately once a month, junior Global students get together with students with disabilities for fun activities and purely to connect.

The buddy program has been going on for years as Global students were involved originally because of the integrated leadership course.

“When Level Three was first conceived for Global, leadership was a part of it and because of that component, they were looking for ways to designate themselves as different from the leadership classes that exist outside of Global,” Global English teacher William Brydon said. “They formed this partnership because they saw the value in this kind of experience for everybody involved: being able to connect as human beings and grow from those experiences.”

Global students are specifically paired up with special education students at the beginning of the year, but as the months go by, everybody gets to know everybody. Spanish teacher Jennifer Olivares has seen friendships grow over time.

“It’s usually two or three Global students to one of Mrs. Polak’s students because of numbers and size,” she said. “They get to know each other pretty well, especially with the monthly events. Then they can greet each other in the hallways and have that community outside of the academy as well.”

Brydon believes that the buddy program helps his students broaden their horizons to new groups of people.

“A big part of our program is trying to help students get prepared to go out and become positive global change agents,” he said. “If you want to be an effective change agent in the world, you have to recognize that all people have value, and you need to be able to connect with anybody through that shared experience so you can make a difference.”

Through this partnership, Global students meet new friends who they might not known otherwise.

“Our students wouldn’t necessarily have a lot of opportunities to interact with the students in the special education department given the schedules that they have in school and out of school,” Olivares said. “I think it’s just an opportunity to interact with people who are different from them and find out that they have a lot more in common than they thought in the end. In a way, it’s stepping out of their comfort zones and the friend groups or social groups they always have.”

Junior Lily Molash appreciates the chance to build these connections many times throughout this school year.

“At the beginning of the year, we did a scavenger hunt around the school. We would go to a certain room, and then we’d be asked a question so we could get to know each other better,” she said. “We also went on a fishing field trip with our buddies to connect with them and have fun. We did a special celebration during the holidays, and it was the best time.”

Junior Hans Larson has learned to appreciate everybody’s different abilities through the buddy program.

“I’ve really enjoyed my time, and inclusivity is something we should always strive for,” he said. “Just because they need assistance doesn’t mean they can’t function; they’re completely capable of many things, just with a little bit of help because of certain situations.”

The experience of the buddy program has also been enlightening for junior Jennsen Berg.

“We learn how to communicate in more ways than just a conversation you might have every day. You get to learn about how they communicate in a way that you’ve never had to before,” she said. “I learned that you have to be patient with everyone, but being patient helps you make new friends.”

Despite differences, Berg was able to find plenty of common ground with not only her buddy, but all of the students involved.

“Kids with special needs are the same as us. They have likes and dislikes,” she said. “Me and my buddy have the same favorite color, and we had a connection because we both like green. They can just be more secluded, so we don’t get to interact as much.”

Molash would like to see more representation of students with disabilities at West and believes the buddy program is a step in the right direction.

“On the surface level, I already knew that there were people who had disabilities at West. But I feel like there are a lot of people that don’t pay attention to them, and it makes me sad,” she said. “They have their own area in the school, and otherwise, I feel like they’re not talked about. Everyone knows they’re there, but we don’t know who they are.”

Olivares has noticed the atmosphere of her classroom change in positive ways when her students build these bonds.

“Mrs. Polak’s students are very good at bringing fun and a relaxed atmosphere,” she said. “I think sometimes academics and rigor are at the forefront of a lot of my student’s minds, and so taking a day to interact as humans, as friends, and as partners is really powerful on both ends of the spectrum.”

For Olivares, the longevity of this partnership is crucial.

“My hope and goals are that we would be able to maintain it. Now that Leadership isn’t the class in Level three, it’s more challenging to find the time and make it a priority,” she said. “I want to make sure we maintain that relationship. We want to keep the program going and do it justice.”

Through the experience of connecting with students who have special needs and learning to communicate in different ways, Brydon hopes his students will learn lessons they will take with them as they go through life.

“To ignore people you might not necessarily know off the bat isn’t an excuse to move forward without expanding that paradigm of existence,” he said. “This is just another area of the world for my students to explore and make a connection with. They can take what they’ve learned from this experience and go forward as more empathetic and prepared people to meet the needs of what the world is going to be in the future.”

By Abby Furcy

March 18 2022

Volume 118 Issue VI