This letter was not written or influenced by any member of the Oracle, nor does it necessarily reflect the opinions or beliefs of the Oracle or MVHS administration.
For the past several years, I have had the privilege of being a Kindness Ambassador for Magical Bridge Foundation and have been fortunate to see the impact that this organization has. Magical Bridge is an organization that plans, executes, and supports the building of inclusive playgrounds worldwide for neurodivergent children and adults with cognitive and physical disabilities. This involvement provided me with valuable training and a deeper understanding of individuals with disabilities, further fueling my passion for promoting inclusion and raising awareness for these communities. Discovering Spartan Buddies at MVHS enabled yet another opportunity for me to appreciate how to engage with empathy, not sympathy, for peers with special needs.
Spartan Buddies is a very popular student-organized and executed club at MVHS, advised by the special education department. The objective of Spartan Buddies is straightforward: to build genuine friendships between neurotypical club members and students in the special education class—with the importance of this simple friendship going far beyond what may be directly apparent. As Carlos Escobar, one of our Spartan Buddies, puts it, “Spartan Buddies means being nice, positive, and grateful, and my favorite thing about Spartan Buddies is that I can share my identity with my buddies and tell them about myself.” Clubs like Spartan Buddies are incredibly important for our campus, causing an impact that goes far beyond simply generating new friendships—they develop club members’ skills and values in areas of communication, empathy, inclusivity, and more.
To understand the club, it is key to recognize that each student in our special education department at MVHS has different needs, abilities, motor skills, and conversational skills. When pairing students, we ensure that all members understand the needs and abilities of their buddy—for example, some buddies cannot verbally communicate with their peers, so we ensure they have activities like puzzles or coloring books to use during the club meetings. For peers with special needs, feeling different and excluded is an everyday experience, and the simple action of pairing students with their buddies and encouraging genuine conversations while guiding them with fun activities—whether it be puzzles, arts and crafts, or Just Dance—can be life-changing. This experience helps to support the development of intense feelings of belonging and overall joy, something more important than we as neurotypical individuals may ever understand.
Spartan Buddy Elise Gonzalez, who uses an iPad “Talker” and ASL to communicate, shares that “Spartan Buddies makes me feel happy and awesome every day,” and like Elise, many students form their very first friend in Spartan Buddies. The once-a-week lunches serve as an incredible opportunity for buddies to build their social skills, communication abilities, and friendships, while also not being overstimulating or too difficult to manage. Another Buddy, Greidy Bautista, shares, “Spartan Buddies has helped me feel happier at school. It’s exciting and really nice to be in Spartan Buddies because it means people talk to me at lunch.”
In addition to weekly lunches, Spartan Buddies holds events beyond its regular meetings to further enrich the friendships and experiences of its members. These include highlights such as the annual St. Patrick’s Day Dance, Special Olympics, family celebrations, summer school activities, field trips, and Homecoming Court partnerships. One particularly special moment this year saw Iasmim Juliano Ganeo, a Spartan Buddy and Dance Spectrum dancer, represent MVHS on Homecoming Court alongside her buddy. Reflecting on the experience, Iasmim shares, “It was really amazing to be a Homecoming Queen with my buddy this year.”
Spartan Buddies is not just a club; it is a movement toward inclusivity, empathy, and genuine connection. By fostering a space where everyone is understood, valued, and included, Spartan Buddies not only transforms the lives of our MVHS students with special needs but also leaves an indelible mark on all club members. These experiences result in a school-wide impact, shaping a more compassionate and accepting school community. Spartan Buddies serves as a reminder of the impact kindness and inclusion can have on our lives—and the lives of others—when we choose to lead with understanding and empathy. Together, we are creating connections and, in doing so, truly changing lives.
