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School’s Out for Summer Edition

As the school year comes to a close, we are excited to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of all our students and advisors this month! There is no denying that it has been a challenging year. With over a year of distance learning behind them, the student leaders within Best Buddies Friendship chapters across California took it upon themselves to ensure that it didn’t hinder them from connecting with one another and remaining in friendship during such an isolating season.

Highlights from this year include:

• 20 new schools in CA opened their first Best Buddies Friendship chapter just this school year!
   
• Del Norte High School went mini-golfing at Pelly’s! The outdoor space provided a safe location for members to reconnect.
   
• The Chapter President and Buddy Director at Palo Alto High School, Callan and Clare enjoyed planning events, going on socially distant walks, and drinking hot chocolate together.
   
• Faith and Hannah from Tesoro High School made sure to stay in touch during the pandemic by texting and when it was safe to meet up in outdoor spaces, they would have picnics at a nearby lake.
   
• Davis Senior High School’s Jesse and Mia joined Best Buddies just this year and thanks to Zoom have been able to get to know each other. They’ve enjoyed talking about books and movies and even met up safely in person by wearing masks.
   
• Santiago High School Best Buddies hosted a virtual Halloween Party with other schools in their district. Various breakout rooms watched spooky movies, played trivia, danced, and got to spend time with one another.
   
• Justin and Kenneth became friends instantly and are both seniors at Glendora High School. They enjoy Zoom calls with each other and had weekly movie nights last summer.
   
• Aneesh and Mason from Del Norte High School went on socially distant bike rides and picnics. They also enjoyed virtual movie nights!

Meet Melissa from the SDSU Chapter

Melissa’s involvement with Best Buddies began when she joined her chapter at Westmont High School as a Sophomore in 2018. For her junior and senior years, she took on the role of Chapter President. You may remember her senior project which left much of the Best Buddies community across the nation in awe of her talent and love for the friends she made through Best Buddies. Her love for Best Buddies did not stop after she graduated high school. Now, as a student at San Diego State University, she has found community and friendship again!

“My Best Buddies college experience has been amazing so far! I am so glad that I could continue Best Buddies in college and meet new people who share my love for inclusion. With this year being virtual, SDSU Best Buddies has allowed me to feel involved in a community. I always look forward to our weekly meetings where I am surrounded by the most friendly, positive, and welcoming people.

This year I was paired up with my buddy Corbitt! Corbitt is the most friendly, happy, and kindest person I know. Throughout the school year we have had Zoom hangouts where we sing songs, play Just Dance, or catch up on what we have been up to. I always look forward to my weekly Zooms with him and am so glad that I met him through Best Buddies.

For those that are graduating high school, I recommend seeing if your school has a Best Buddies chapter. It has been a great way for me to meet new friends in college. If your school does not have a chapter, I would recommend starting your own!

Next year, I will be one of the Co-Directors for B3 Coffee at SDSU and I am so excited to be a part of SDSU’s Best Buddies board next year. I hope that we will be able to transition from our online settings to in-person activities!”

A big round of applause to all of our 2021 graduates!

👏🎓🌟 We are forever grateful for the impact you’ve made throughout your time with Best Buddies. But it doesn’t have to stop here…

With the parting of ways and farewells that graduations tend to bring, Best Buddies is one of those constants you get to take along with you on this next journey in life. By becoming a part of our Alumni Association, you’ll learn about ways you can stay involved with our mission in the years ahead.

Volunteer with Best Buddies

Love the mission and want to get more involved? There are lots of ways to be a part of Best Buddies in California! Reach out to our staff so we can get you plugged in.

Northern California | Stefanie Taylor: stefanietaylor@bestbuddies.org

Central Valley | Haley Hatai: haleyhatai@bestbuddies.org

Southern California | Sarah Won: sarahwon@bestbuddies.org