I was in 6th grade. I was just starting to hit puberty. I was nervous and anxious to be starting middle school. More people, using lockers, 4 minutes to get to class. I didn’t know how to take it all in.

Her name was Victoria. I had never seen anything like her before. I didn’t understand why she looked different from me. I had thoughts in my head like, “why is her face like that” or “why does she talk like that.” I never understood until The Best Buddies Program.

As I met knew people and got more involved The Best Buddies program gained my interest. The people in the group were always so joyful and excited. The group always did fun activities like mini golfing, bowling, and having parties. They were said to dedicate their time to enhancing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. They created (one-on-one) relationships from a best buddie and a child who suffered with a disability.

My buddy was Victoria. Victoria and I hit things off right away. Even though she suffered with down syndrome I found it unique. We held hands, and her laugh was heart wrenching. I couldn’t get enough of the memories we just started making. We got really close and it was sad to see her go when middle school ended. Best Buddies is what helped me understand why Victoria was the way she was and showed me what acceptance was.