The Best Buddies club creates one-to-one friendships between college students and members of the greater Williamsburg area with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The organization also provides opportunities for individuals with IDDs to connect with the College community while broadening the perspectives of students at the College of William and Mary and creating a more inclusive campus environment.
“I tried out a Best Buddies event, and I just remember having the most fun time getting to talk with the buddies and getting to hear their life stories and how much joy they have,” Best Buddies President Kate Kibiloski ’25 said. “I just felt welcomed immediately and knew I wanted to play a part in creating those events and fostering those friendships.”
As members of Best Buddies, students can choose to take on different levels of involvement. Some members take a buddy who they meet one-on-one with, while others prefer to participate in the monthly events hosted by the club.
Emma Smith ’28 volunteered with individuals with disabilities in high school and decided to join Best Buddies after seeing their table at the activities fair. Smith connects with her buddy Annie through phone calls, texting and in-person meet ups.
“I have a younger brother with special needs and so I’ve always kind of been around people with intellectual disabilities,” Smith said. “However, I feel like I have genuinely fostered a serious friendship with someone. My buddy was telling me she’s been involved for years, but I’m her favorite. It just has helped me feel like I’m more involved on campus and given me more of a sense of belonging in the club. I’m going to be friends with her for years. I can already tell.”
Smith has also enjoyed hearing the experiences of other students as they continue to expand their perspectives.
“They realize that with certain people with different types of disabilities, you have to be more patient and take more time to listen and try to include them in activities,” Smith said.
Best Buddies Secretary Morgan Cook-Sather ’25 also recognized the impact the club has had on her implicit biases.
“I think a lot of times people’s experiences with disabilities aren’t told by themselves, but by other people who don’t understand the experience,” Cook-Sather said. “Being in Best Buddies and interacting with all the buddies is an important way to get over or check oneself on problems of bias and stigmatization.”
Cook-Sather joined Best Buddies her sophomore year after volunteering at a camp for blind and visually impaired children in middle and high school.
“As someone who has a visual impairment which affects my navigation on campus, I have really appreciated being in this community that’s so inviting and discusses issues of diversity and disability with our students, while also getting to diversify my own understanding and education on various disabilities that are different from mine,” Cook-Sather said.
Similarly, Vice President Ryan McGhee ’25 has enjoyed the opportunity to expand his own experiences since joining the club his sophomore year.
“I thought it was an exciting opportunity to try something new and to broaden my own perspective,” McGhee said. “I really loved the experience and really connected with my buddy, and really enjoyed being in this environment full of other individuals who want to foster inclusivity and community.”
Kerri Chimento ’25 joined Best Buddies her freshman year. Chimento had done some work with people with nonverbal learning disabilities in high school, but learned different styles of communication and relationship building by spending time with her buddy with cerebral palsy. Chimento has learned a lot about her own passions through the club.
“It’s something that I have turned into what my career will be,” Chimento said. “I’m going into rehabilitation counseling, and working with people with intellectual developmental disabilities is what I plan to do in the future, so it’s been great to be able to form connections and communicate with people with a wide range of ability.”
