Best Buddies: club for students of all abilities
Best Buddies is a club that continues to break barriers between the general education and special education population by pairing one student from each population to create friendships.
The president of the club, Gabby Manion, said, “I joined Best Buddies because in elementary school we spent the last 30 minutes of the day in the special education room, and I loved it and knew I wanted to do it in high school.”
Francine Pace wanted to join the club to make new friends and be accepted for who she is. Originally from Georgia, Pace never truly felt accepted until she and her family moved to Iowa.
“My favorite part of the club is seeing friendships form between people of all abilities,” Pace said.
The club hosts events throughout the year including a match party, a friends Thanksgiving, a holiday gift exchange and many more. In addition, Friendship Group is held during PRIDE time on Tuesdays.
Tienna Trettin and Francine Pace visit during a recent Best Buddies meeting.