You’ve got a friend in Mya: Junior starts Best Buddies chapter at Dartmouth High

Mar 7, 2020

Dartmouth High School junior Mya Leonardo is not your typical student.

Along with a list of extracurricular activities that includes clubs, sports like track and soccer, dancing, working, and doing pageants — she is currently Miss Freetown’s Outstanding Teen — last year Leonardo set up a Best Buddies chapter at Dartmouth High.

“My dad was very involved in [Best Buddies] at his work, and I thought it would be a great idea,” she explained. “I thought it would be just a great thing to add to our high school. And it just sprouted from there.”

And as someone who has previously experienced bullying, she said, “I wish that someone had just talked to me.” 

So Leonardo reached out to faculty advisor Brian Crowley, who works with kids in special education, to get the program started.

Run by non-profit Best Buddies International, the program pairs students in regular education with those in special education, who have intellectual or developmental disabilities like autism, Down Syndrome, or cerebral palsy.

Crowley loved the idea.

“It wasn’t something that I had ever had in high school, and I have cerebral palsy,” he said. “So growing up it was hard for me to make friends, simply because I was different.”

He did have friends at Wilmington High School, where he was in the band, he said. 

“I did as much as I could to get myself out there and be available for friendships, but it was still hard,” he noted. “If there was something like Best Buddies in my school, or some sort of unifying group to make friendships, I probably would have benefited from that.”

Kids who sign up for the Best Buddies program are matched with others who have similar interests based on an online survey.

After an initial group meetup to see if the pairs hit it off, students are expected to stay in contact each week, meet up outside of school twice a month, and meet with the group after school once a month to do activities like making paper flowers or friendship bracelets.

Although there was plenty of interest at the start — last year 20 regular education students signed up — with just Leonardo acting as chapter President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer, the program is off to a bit of a slow start at Dartmouth High.

“When we started, we had more regular ed students than special ed students, which is really odd,” Crowley said. “So that presented a challenge right away, to try to get the interest of special ed students.”

Last year, the program had five student pairs.

“This year we don’t have as many pairs,” Leonardo admitted. “But we have a couple pairs where they’re actually building that bond together.”

Despite the level of interest in participating in the program, she noted, they need more students volunteering to help run it.

“The thing is, I’m only one person,” she said. “For me to do every single step is just crazy. It would be great to have more members so that we can have events that will really just get the community more involved.”

Leonardo said that she plans to set up a Facebook page for the club to spread awareness among students and parents and help it grow.

“It’s a little on the slower side, but it’s getting there,” said Leonardo. “I see it being something really big. And I just want everyone to realize that inclusion is really important.”

“I don’t want to give up,” she added. “I’m determined to make this happen, because I love it so much. And I just want to help as many people as possible here.”

As for all of her extracurriculars, Leonardo said, “You can always make time.”

“I have a lot on my plate,” she laughed. “But I love this club, and that’s why I want to put so much into it.”