Best Buddies changed my life forever.

Freshman year of high school, I had just moved to San Diego from Portland, Oregon. One of the first things I did on campus was join Best Buddies. Best Buddies is a world-wide nonprofit dedicated to creating friendships, jobs and leadership opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I was matched in a one-to-one friendship with a young girl named Haylie, pictured above. This was taken on the first night we met one another at a Halloween party. Haylie and I had an immediate connection with one another and did everything together. Haylie taught me how to love unconditionally and be brave in a world of fear. I started getting really involved in Best Buddies and became Chapter President at my high school. Then, I started traveling to elementary schools to talk to kids about what it means to have a disability. At the end of my senior year, I was chosen as one of thirteen leaders from around the country to serve on the Best Buddies Young Leader's Council.

Out to dinner.

At a local 5K.

This was fall of our senior year when Haylie was crowned homecoming queen.

I had the honor of wheeling my best friend across stage at our high school graduation. This is one of my favorite photos of us.

When I got to SDSU, I immediately got involved in Best Buddies. I served as President of Best Buddies SDSU my sophomore year and am still currently holding this position. Every week we put on meetings where adults with disabilities and SDSU students get to foster friendships with one another. This spring, we will be opening a coffee stand on campus called Best Buddies Brews. Not only will our buddies will learn marketable job and social skills, but SDSU will be a more inclusive place. Joining Best Buddies and meeting Haylie, not only changed my life but also my career path. After finishing my undergrad in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, I will attend graduate school to become a Speech-Language Pathologist. I want to empower kids with severe disabilities to communicate with the world around them. I am forever grateful to Best Buddies for introducing me to the sister I never had and changing my life for the better.

Here we are on the teacups in Disneyland. One of our favorite places to spend time together. 

This was this past summer. I finally learned how to drive her mini van (which is equipped to hold her wheelchair), so we got to go to froyo without her mom. This was a big moment for the both of us.