Club Name: Best Buddies
Mission: The mission of Best Buddies is to establish a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Club Meeting Time: Once a month on a predetermined date in the evening, usually in the Blue Lounge of the Student Center.
Contact information/social media: bestbuddies@worcester.edu;

Why should students get involved with your organization?
Students should join our organization to interact with members of the community with intellectual disabilities who may not otherwise have friendships. Friendships between WSU students and our members are what drive our programming.

What types of events and/or programs do you do throughout the year?
We have social events such as bingo, dance parties, craft sessions, and game nights.

What has been one of the biggest successes of this organization?
Our biggest success is providing our adults with disabilities with a sense of inclusion and feeling connected to a new friend through Worcester State students. Worcester State students can “match” with a member to see them once a month outside of our events, text or email them and provide them with a social experience they otherwise would not have.

What do you think your organization brings to the students at Worcester State?
Best Buddies brings diversity and connection to individuals outside our campus. Students are able to be exposed to a new population of individuals and can feel empowered helping others. Our members just want to feel connected to a new friend and share experiences they otherwise would not have the opportunity to experience.

How can interested students join your organization?
Students can attend our monthly events and fill out a membership application at and select 91´«Ă˝ as their chapter

How can the campus community learn more about your programs and events?
, our , or our email bestbuddies@worcester.edu.

The post Club Highlight | Best Buddies appeared first on Campus Life.

How do you think you’ve changed as a leader throughout your time at WSU, and what aspects of your experience most influenced this change?
At WSU, I have definitely become a  more active, involved, and confident leader. When I started, I was really quiet and super nervous! Meeting new people, student leaders, and staff here has really made me come out of my shell. The people around me have shown me what it takes to be a leader, and most importantly, they showed me that I have what it takes. I have been met with kindness and open minds who want to hear what I have to say and help me to reach my goals. 

What is the biggest lesson you have learned when it comes to leadership? 
The biggest lesson I have learned when it comes to leadership is that it’s okay to ask for help! I wouldn’t be the person I am if it weren’t for the help of the people around me. I used to be really afraid to ask for help but through being involved on campus I have gotten so much better at this.

We really want to highlight the intersection of identity, culture, and leadership development. Can you share how your identity has shaped your leadership style throughout the years?
As I’ve gotten more involved on campus I have felt so much more comfortable being myself. Coming out was a huge part of this. It was so scary, but in the end I felt so accepted by the community around me and found that it was just another thing that I can use to help make me a better leader. Since I have come out, I have become a part of the team behind the LGBTQ+ Alliance on campus. I found that I can contribute to the wonderful safe space that they create. I have even become a safe space for others who need someone to talk to when it is too scary to talk to anyone else. I have come to appreciate the unique experience I have as someone in he LGBTQ+ community, especially since I can use it to help others who are working through it. 

What would you say has been your best experience here at WSU?
My best experience has been working with OSILD through the leadership programs. And I’m not just saying this because they gave me the opportunity to talk about myself! They really do give so many opportunities. They have really helped me to work on myself and my leadership. They gave me opportunities to meet leaders like myself to share and hear ideas. They also stick with you- checking in, and helping out.

What was your most meaningful experience while at WSU?
When I was in freshman seminar my first year, it was required for us to participate in a “mock interview.” I didn’t think much of it- it was just an assignment that I needed to get done. However, I actually met some really amazing people in my interview, and since it wasn’t real, I felt really calm, and every interview since then has been a breeze. I really recommend this program.

However, the people I met were the most important part.  They opened up a door I didn’t even know existed. Before I knew it, I had a real interview for a summer job. I worked with individuals with disabilities and I learned so much that summer. I even learned that this is a population that I want to work with in the future as a therapist. It’s a really great feeling. And this job opened up so many other opportunities for me. 

What has been your biggest accomplishment since beginning your journey at WSU?
Honestly, I think my biggest accomplishment has been becoming more me. As a teenager I was really shy and hid who I was. The community at WSU has shown me that there is a place for me- a lot of them actually. After coming out I have made so many connections with people and learned to embrace who I am.

What advice would you give to students who are just beginning to explore the type of leader, or the type of person, they hope to become?
Don’t doubt yourself! This was something that was really hard to learn. I used to be really focused on my mistakes and setbacks, but you can’t do that to yourself. You have to learn from these and move on. Don’t let yourself be your biggest barrier. When in doubt- ask for help. An outside perspective can change your own

What are your current plans for the next few years?
I hope to study and receive my masters after graduation. I want to continue working with others and helping people.

Ari is a graduate of the Circles of Leadership program.

The post Student Spotlight | Ari Giasson appeared first on Campus Life.

What is your definition of a great leader?
In my opinion, a great leader is someone who listens to their peers and uses the public’s voice in power. A great leader isn’t just someone who takes their own ideas and bases everything off of them- they need to listen and learn about what the public wants and how they can help them. A great leader is someone who is not cocky and knows that they need to hear everyone else’s ideas to help form their own. Lastly, a great leader is someone who looks out for others, and offers help when needed. 

What is the biggest lesson you have learned when it comes to leadership? 
The biggest lesson I learned when it comes to leadership is that not everyone is going to agree with you and like you. This is something that took me a long time to learn because I am such a people pleaser. I try to have everyone like me and will do my best to change their opinions on me. I used to care so much about what other people thought of me, it took over my life. Although it has been hard, I have finally accepted that not everyone I meet is going to like me and that is okay. This is something a lot of people deal with because it brings them down and makes them think of themselves as less of a leader. There is no leader that everybody likes and agrees with, and I think this lesson was the most important for me to learn. 

We really want to highlight the intersection of identity, culture, and leadership development. Can you share how your identity has shaped your leadership style throughout the years?
When you meet me you would never guess that I could be shy, or get anxious in front of large groups of people. I guess I have always used being sociable and extroverted as a cover to hide my insecurities. I used to feel sick to my stomach when the idea of public speaking was brought up, and would try to avoid it at all costs. I came to the point of acceptance that no one wanted to listen to this girl from West Roxbury, MA and that I was going to let my male peers overpower me because that’s the way society is, right? Boy, was I wrong. I realized that as a woman, I had the right to share my opinions and speak my truth as much as any other male. My role model has and will always be Audrey Hepburn, and did she ever let a male stand in her way? No. In my opinion she was one of the strongest and most influential women in history, and taught me that it is okay to be yourself and to express your own opinions.

What would you say has been your best experience here at WSU?
This is such a hard question to answer since I have had so many awesome experiences here at WSU. If I had to pick I would pick when my friends and I went to New York City with SEC in Spring 2019. I have been to NYC with my family before, but when I was given the opportunity to go with my best friends for only $10 I could not say no. The day started off with an early bus ride but after that- amazing. We walked through Central Park, visited the Museum of Natural History, ate a New York bagel with lox, and just walked around the city that never sleeps. Although we only went for a day, it was probably one of the best things I have ever done here at WSU! If the trip ever gets offered again, I highly recommend going!

What was your most meaningful experience while at WSU?
The most meaningful experience while at WSU hands down has to be making the friends I have today. I am not going to list them, but they know who they are. To all of them: Thank you for making me feel like I have belonged at WSU, and caring for me and showing me what true friends are. People say that you meet your lifelong friends while in college, and I can truly understand why. Thank you to all of my friends who have stuck by me these past few years, I appreciate all of you, and truly believe that you all have made me a better person. 

What has been your biggest accomplishment since beginning your journey at WSU?
I always was on the honor roll in high school, and when I got to college I did not expect it to be any different. First semester went by and I realized “wow… this is hard.” When all my peers were making Dean’s List, I couldn’t help but get discouraged. “Was I smart enough? Do I have what it takes to be an OT major?” With all those thoughts and questions in my mind- I had one goal: next semester I was going to make the Dean’s List. I changed the way I studied, focused more, and learned what I needed to do to succeed. After all this hard work, I made Dean’s List, and have ever since. I would say that has been my biggest accomplishment because it allowed me to reevaluate myself and help me be my best.

What advice would you give to students who are just beginning to explore the type of leader, or the type of person, they hope to become?
The biggest piece of advice I could give is never stop trying. If I stopped running for leadership positions after high school, I wouldn’t be the person who I am today. I would still believe leadership is about popularity, and that my ideas do not matter. I am so happy that I kept trying because I can honestly say it has made me a better person!

Is there anything else you’d like to share about your leadership journey?
It may seem cheesy but I honestly believe that everything does happen for a reason. If something does not go your way, you have to wait because it will all make sense later! It may seem hard and difficult in the moment, but I promise you- the best is yet to come. 

The post Student Spotlight | Victoria Donahue appeared first on Campus Life.