Meet Whitney & Becca
One-to-One Friendship
From the first moment they met, Whitney and Becca knew they had something truly special. Upon being matched in November of 2016 through the Best Buddies chapter at Arizona State University, Whitney and Becca talked on the phone for two hours, and the very next day they met up for coffee and wandered around a local bookstore – laughing and giggling the entire way.
The rest, as they say, is history.
“It was just like a lightning bolt. I knew it was the right match, right away. From that first day, I remember laughing and talking for hours. It was immediate.”
Whitney and Becca attend many of the chapter meetings and activities through the club at ASU, but their friendship extends far beyond campus life. The pair have gotten together for breakfast, had movie nights at Whitney’s house, and have even gone on long road trips together – including one to the Grand Canyon.
“The best thing we’ve ever done was when we went to the Grand Canyon. I had never been to the Grand Canyon before, so we planned the trip, and the next day we headed up,” Whitney said.
Becca was so excited to take Whitney on the trip. “We had only known each other for a couple months at that point, but I love hiking and being outside and Whitney said she’d never been, so I said, ‘Well, I’ve got a car, why aren’t we going right now?!’
“We stayed the night in a hotel in Williams and watched rom-coms and giggled in our pajamas – it was such a blast.”
The mark of a true friendship is more than just what you do together, but how you help each other grow. For Becca, her friendship with Whitney has not only given her endless laughs and countless memories – of which they plan on making plenty more of – but she has helped her become a more outgoing, confident person.
“Whitney is a lot braver than me,” Becca explained. “I’m a really shy person naturally, and these last couple of years, I’ve seen this person who is so charismatic and able to walk into any room and everyone knows her. Whitney has definitely made me more outgoing, just by knowing her.”
“I don’t see how we can ever stop being friends. She’s become a huge part of my life.”
The feeling is mutual for Whitney, too. “I’ve made a lot of friends through Best Buddies, and it makes me stronger as a person to have someone like Becca who I can always count on,” she said. “She’s someone I see being a part of my life for a long time.”
Whitney’s parents have also seen how much of a positive effect Becca has had in Whitney’s life. “It’s really a wonderful friendship,” said Ernie Brodersen, Whitney’s father. “Whitney has really blossomed since her friendship with Becca. Best Buddies has brought out the best in Whitney, and Becca is truly an outstanding buddy. She has become a part of the family.”
When asked “what does your friendship with Becca mean to you?”, Whitney simply said:
“It’s the best thing I’ve ever had.”
