The RHS Bearcat Buddies program was simply an idea in the Fall of 2024. As a student council co-sponsor, I worked with Kate Pullin and Chad Hamlin on making this idea into a reality. These two students noticed that there was a gap between general education classes and special-education classes, and they sought to bridge that gap by making sure all students were known, valued, loved, and seen.
They began their journey by spending every Thursday afternoon having lunch with the special education students. They formed special friendships and bonds that continued to blossom throughout the year. We worked on logistics on how we could involve more of the student body with the special education students, and after meeting with various administrators and gathering information, we were able to start the Bearcat Buddies program in the spring of 2024.
We acquired volunteers from Student Council and Football Leadership Council to start meeting with our “sidekicks,” special education students, one day every week during advisory.
As the program began, I noticed almost immediately a sudden shift in the culture of the student body. Within a few weeks, our sidekicks who normally wouldn’t speak very often, were now going on walks and holding conversations with their buddies. I discovered several buddies had found ways to communicate with their non-verbal sidekicks through various hand gestures, cards, and art. Bearcat Buddies started with a group of student volunteers who wanted to make a difference, but it evolved into close knit friendships.
I have been a teacher for 13 years, and even after being in the school system for that long, students still surprise me. I witnessed and continue to witness genuine compassion. I witnessed and continue to witness patience and kindness. I witnessed and continue to witness empathic understanding and resilience in our student body.
Words cannot describe the transformative power of the Bearcat Buddies program. Since last year, the organization has grown from a mere 40 buddies to 100 buddies serving 47 sidekicks. We had more buddies apply to be a part of the program than we had a need. Furthermore, this program was and never will be for community service, but rather the only agenda was and is to build relationships. I now witness sidekicks and buddies every Tuesday and Friday spend quality time with one another during advisory. If a buddy or sidekick happens to be absent, I am the first to know because our students are always checking in on each other.
Our buddies and sidekicks feel a genuine loss when one of their friends is absent. I watch buddies take their sidekicks to the gym to play basketball, or buddies take their sidekicks out for walks around the school while they become lost in genuine conversation. I watch metaphorical walls crumble as these students work to get to know one another, and they begin to realize we are all alike with similar interests and beliefs. I watch modern teenagers who are normally trapped behind screens become lost in intimate conversation with their peers.
This Bearcat Buddies program has personally changed my life. I see genuine love and respect in our school community, and I realize that goodness can still be found in humanity. I never knew a group of teenagers could show me what true compassion and understanding looks like, but somehow our Bearcat buddies and sidekicks have done just that. I am honored to help sponsor this program, and I cannot wait to see how we can continue fostering positive relationships within our community.
Thank you,
Stephanie Treadway
