Program Highlight: DePaul University (Chicago)
Coming off a previously challenging year, the 2015-2016 school year was different for our DePaul University chapter. Before the start of the school year, my Vice President (VP) and I attended the Best Buddies Leadership Conference in July of 2015. We watched in awe at the Chapter of the Year awards being given out to chapters from around the world during the opening ceremony. I leaned over to my VP and declared to her that we were going to win one of those awards in 2016!
When school started in the fall, we wanted a fresh start. Together as a team, I worked with our Executive Board to make sure events went smoothly and that each match was nurtured. We had to learn how to delegate and communicate; as an officer team and with our Faculty Advisor, Host Site Coordinator, and Program Manager. Those three were our backbone throughout the year.
After all of our hard work, seeing the response from the community made it worth it. We made a name for ourselves on campus and we were recognized as a great organization. When Morgan (our Program Manager) contacted me at the end of the school year telling me that we had been selected as one of the Chapter of the Year recipients, I was pumped! I was so proud of where we had come from and that we were able to be recognized by not only Best Buddies Illinois, but Best Buddies International at Leadership Conference in 2016.
Being recognized by and meeting Best Buddies Founder, Anthony K. Shriver and Senior Vice President David Quilleon, made me feel that we truly stood out and had fulfilled the Best Buddies mission. Thank you to everyone who believed in our chapter and helped us get to where we were!
