The Southeast Polk Best Buddies Leadership Team celebrated and advocated at Inclusion Day on the Hill Monday, March 4 at the Iowa State Capitol. Best Buddies Iowa advocated at the Iowa State Capitol and spoke with locally elected officials on the importance of inclusive words and actions to end discrimination of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Southeast Polk’s Best Buddy Director, Nathan Sells, was chosen to give a speech to Speaker Upmeyer and Majority Leader Hagenow explaining how Best Buddies has impacted his life and the importance of inclusion.
Nathan, along with Clayton Byers, Southeast Polk Buddy Director, were selected to lead the House in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Tia Stiles, Southeast Polk High School Teacher and Best Buddies advisor, shared, “These are huge honors for our members and for our Best Buddies Chapter. We are proud of Nathan and Clayton.”
Best Buddies is a program through which special needs students at Southeast Polk High School team up with other students to learn from one another. Rated as the top program of its kind for several years in a row, buddies participate in adaptive physical education programs including an annual softball tournament during homecoming week.
Pictured: SEP Best Buddies Leadership Team
Patrick Tunks, Kaitlyn Leabo, Ellie Dove, Clayton Byers, Mariah Kacer, Kailee Quang, and Nathan Sells
