By Lillian Gray

The Best Buddies club at the University of Maryland strives to create a space that supports individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, or IDD. The club also aims to help students make lasting friendships, find a supportive community and develop leadership and social skills.

Founded at Georgetown University in 1989, Best Buddies has since turned into an international nonprofit with 3,000 chapters across the world, impacting more than 1.3 million people with and without IDD.

The UMD chapter hosts various events throughout the year, like fall and spring formals, a friendship walk and talent shows.

According to Eugene Choi, a junior public health science major and the club’s vice president, Best Buddies fosters a unique and inclusive environment for the community and those who have joined the club from the surrounding area.

“I just love hanging out with everybody in it,” he said. “I think it’s also really important to just meet people outside of your own circle. That’s also a big part of it, too. The whole social inclusivity aspect of it, too, is just awesome.”

Choi, a member of the club since freshman year, will become president next year. Choi said he admired the people who had the bravery to perform on stage in February’s talent show, which he helped host.

“It’s wholesome,” he said. “Seeing people happy always makes you feel wholesome.”

These events and the club as a whole, Choi says, create an empowering atmosphere that uplifts people in the IDD community.

“It kind of brings a little bit of light to the IDD community that might sometimes be overshadowed on campus,” he said.

Evan Miller joined the club three years ago and graduated from Terps EXperiencing College for Education and Employment Discovery, or TerpsEXCEED, two years ago.

TerpsEXCEED is a two-year program that provides students with IDD, who may not be able to take the four-year route, with a college experience. The program also provides additional career, social and educational support.

Miller currently works as a Terp Host for UMD sports events, a peer advocate for TerpsEXCEED and an officer for Best Buddies. Miller said the club allows people to gain new skills and be part of a fun, supportive community.

“Everyone gets their own kind of confidence,” Miller said.

It brings people friendship and happiness. Whenever they’re feeling miserable or some other thing that makes them want to panic, this program, Best Buddies, is the way to go. – Miller

At the February talent show hosted, Miller performed the show’s opening act, where he breakdanced.

Miller said breakdancing has always been his passion, and he enjoys the movement and creativity it brings. As an officer for Best Buddies, being able to still participate in all of the activities and share these moments with those around him brings him joy.

“It makes me so happy that I get to enjoy the program as much as everyone does,” he said.

Along with Miller, Aidan Gimble, also a graduate of TerpsEXCEED, performed multiple different acts. Gimble played the “Barney & Friends” theme song on his recorder, performed a solo of “Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift and joined several group performances.

Gimble said he had a lot of fun performing in the talent show and also enjoys many other Best Buddies events throughout the year, the scavenger hunt and formal being his favorite. During one of his acts, Gimble shared a poem, where he expressed his gratitude toward the club and all the friends he’s made along the way.

“I have a good time … it means a lot to me. I love it, it’s my entire life,” he said. “I love it so much it means a lot to me and it brings me joy.”

Abigail Ernst, a senior environmental science and policy major and president of the chapter, has watched individuals like Gimble join the club over the years and find a community and connection. 

“I’ve had a ton of parents come up to me and explain … how much of an impact that this has made on their child,” she said. “I’ve had people in the club talk to me about how much of an impact this has made, and it’s really heartwarming, and it sometimes makes me take a step back.”

This step back helps her realize the significance of the club and its goal to try and reverse stereotypes about individuals with IDD. 

“I just think of it as, I’m meeting up with friends, I’m socializing, I’m having a good time, and sometimes I don’t really think of the greater impact of what we’re doing,” she said. “It really makes me choke up and sometimes have a loss for words because it’s such an important mission and goal.”

Last year, the UMD Best Buddies chapter was recognized as the Maryland Outstanding Chapter of the Year.

In July, Ernst attended a Best Buddies convention in Indianapolis, where she met members, leaders, organizers and more of the Best Buddies community. She was also recognized with this award and met the Best Buddies founder. At the convention, she said speakers emphasized the significance of the club and the bridges that it builds.

They want us, you know, to create a world where Best Buddies doesn’t need to exist because everyone is so inclusive and open and not following the stereotypes and stigmas that people have against individuals with disabilities. – Ernst

Ernst has been part of Best Buddies since her freshman year and has seen how it changed others’ lives and impacted the way she views her life, future career choices and the friends she’s made along the way.

“Practicing inclusivity should be an important part of everyone’s life every single day. The club really kind of shows you how to socialize with people that are different from you,” she said. “I just love the overall camaraderie and inclusivity that’s promoted from the club. It just automatically brightens my day just because of the amazing energy that everyone has.”

Featured Image: Best Buddies members sing the song Wagon Wheel together at the talent show on Feb. 22. (From left to right: Thomas Roelke, Shaina Rudick, Aidan Gimble and Grace Henderson.) Photo by Lillian Gray