Meet Bri – Leadership Development Program – Ambassadors
“I think anyone who has the chance should become an Ambassador.”
Learn about the Best Buddies Ambassadors program and meet one of our standout participants
The Best Buddies Ambassadors program offers people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) the opportunity to gain the public speaking skills, self-esteem, and the confidence needed to successfully advocate for themselves, their peers, and Best Buddies in their communities, workplaces, and government.
Buddy participants that are interested in getting involved at a local level may choose to participate in a series of Ambassadors workshops and training which are designed to engage them in local advocacy initiatives and, potentially, global advocacy opportunities.
Upon successful completion of the Ambassador training program, Buddy Ambassadors go on to participate in a number of local events and speaking engagements. To show you our Ambassadors mission in action, we want to shine a light on Brianna Powers (Bri).
Bri is a Citizens buddy participant that joined our Ambassadors program in 2015. She has since completed novice and advanced training which focus on speech writing and presentation. She has attended Best Buddies Annual Leadership Conference as an elite Ambassador representing Wisconsin twice and enjoys speaking on local and statewide stages on behalf of Best Buddies.
We asked Bri to tell us about her experience with the Ambassadors program. Here’s what she had to say.
Best Buddies has been a really great program for me. I have met new people and made new friendships. The Ambassador Program has also helped me increase my speaking skills and leadership.
I joined the Ambassadors program to work on my leadership skills and to become more involved with Best Buddies. I attended Project: Inclusion as an Ambassador for the first time in 2016. On the day of Project: Inclusion, I worked on my speech and was very scared when asked if I wanted to present in the auditorium. I didn’t give my speech that year… In 2017, I attended Project: Inclusion again. I was so proud and excited to share my speech when I had a chance to this time.
During the past few years, I worked my way from not wanting to talk in front of people, to giving a speech to a small group, and then to giving a speech in front of a huge group! This year, I was asked to give a speech about the Spread the Word to End the Word campaign at Divine Savior Holy Angels High School at an assembly in front of the entire school, and I did it! It was really cool to talk to them and share what I had to say.
The Ambassador Program is important because it has helped me develop more confidence and I feel more independent from the skills I have learned. The program helps me spread my message of the importance of being included throughout the community. I can share my experiences so others see how important it is to be included. I think anyone who has the chance should become an Ambassador. They can become a leader, make new friends, become more confident, and learn to speak in front of large crowds.
