Friendships formed through Best Buddies

PHOTO: Sophomores Mieke Heiser and Eliana Augustine sit in the All Student Center eating their lunches together.

By Natalie Neal 

BlueDevilHUB.com Staff–

Buddy director and senior Olivia Pandeleos remembers the excitement and anticipation of being paired with another student at a Davis High Best Buddies meeting. 

Pandeleos joined the club as a freshman during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, the meetings were held on Zoom. Members would play drawing games and trivia. “It was hard to get to know people online,” Pandeleos said. “I definitely like it better in person.” 

Now that meetings are in person, members can participate in “buddy pairs.” At the beginning of the pairing process, everyone received an image. To find your partner, you had to find your matching image. Club members raced to find their new friend. 

Pandeleos could not wait to see who it would be. She was thrilled to be paired with junior Aurora Hogan.

The Best Buddies club strives to help students with and without intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) to form strong connections with others. 

Best Buddies is an international organization dedicated to ending social, physical and economic isolation of the 200 million people with intellectual disabilities worldwide. It was first founded in 1989 by Anthony K. Shriver. 

The club was established in high schools in 1995. 

The organization also promotes social inclusion, job opportunities, leadership development and inclusive living.

“I think it’s important for our kiddos with disabilities to make different friends and interact with different people. I think it’s important for our kids without disabilities to make different friends and interact with different people,” said Kalista Hickman, a Davis family therapist.

To spark connections between club members, Davis High’s Best Buddies club conducts fun and engaging activities every week. 

At one October meeting, club members decorated mini pumpkins and filled in Halloween coloring pages. Blank, orange pumpkins suddenly had funny faces and bright colors. Junior Allison Hulbert talked with friends as she colored a candy corn picture. “That was one of my favorite meetings,” Hulbert said. 

During a club meeting on Nov. 15, smiles broke out across students’ faces as members participated in a Thanksgiving themed activity. Students wrote on a note card what they were thankful for. Sophomore Eliana Augustine wrote “food and books.” Sophomore Mieke Heiser put down “friends and family.” 

Adapted physical education teacher Elizabeth Hogan believes the club allows students to have fun and “let go of high school/teen expectations.” Hogan teaches in a number of school districts, including Davis, Winters and Esparto. Her daughter, Aurora, joined the Best Buddies club last year. 

“The club benefits all students in it,” Hogan said. 

Robin Dewey is the UC Davis Best Buddies adviser. She said she has seen proof of the benefits that come from the college-level club. Many UCD club members continue to spend time together after their terms come to an end. 

“People get to know each other better and become actual friends,” Dewey said. 

Dewey is also head of Team Davis, a group that organizes athletic events, dances, art classes and more for Davis community members with disabilites. The group advertises Best Buddies to its participants regularly. In return, Team Davis recruits from Best Buddies by reaching out to club members and informing them of the recreational activities Team Davis offers. “They’re a close partner,” Dewey said. 

Dewey’s son joined Best Buddies in college as there was not a high school program when he attended DHS. “He really likes meeting the college students,” Dewey said. 

At age 35, Dewey’s son still participates in Best Buddies. “He really [likes] it,” Dewey said.  “[And his age] doesn’t seem to matter to anybody.” 

The last couple years, following the pandemic, the college program has struggled to find participants. Dewey’s son and two of his friends were paired with one other buddy. As a result, they didn’t hang out together much unless it was a group activity. 

“It was just [really] hard,” Dewey said. 

Dewey is pleased to see that the high school program has not faced the same challenges. “They are really on track,” Dewey said. “It’s kind of off the charts.”