{Best Buddies}

Reporting is one of the coolest jobs ever. You get to meet all kinds

of people with interesting stories and different takes on life. And

you get to go places and learn things you'd miss out on otherwise.

I had a great time at a recent shoot (9/11). I was covering a

program called Best Buddies, and in doing so I got to meet some

terrific people at Higley High School.

Best Buddies is an international program where they pair

students who have disabilities with students who don't. The

idea is to create an opportunity for the pair of students to spend

time together -- one-on-one, in and outside of school -- to create

long lasting friendships. It's also a peer mentor program, allowing

the student with disabilities to further develop social skills and

expand their social network.

I got to know Brady and Houston -- two guys who were matched

up in Best Buddies last year and have since become friends. Their

story and the friendship they've built in the last year was inspiring.

Houston's parents came along to support him and document

what we were doing. I didn't know they were going to be there

until I arrived that morning. It worked out great because they

shared a few things with me that helped me understand the

story even better. It was really nice meeting both of them.

Julia, Houston's mom, sent me copies of the photos she took:

Interviewing Houston

Interviewing Brady and Houston


Getting b-roll footage of them studying together


Matt Stone, (special education teacher at Higley HS who runs

the Best Buddies Program there); Julia (Houston's mom),

Houston, Brady, me, and Sunni (the 09-10 Student President

for Best Buddies at Higley HS).

Brady, Houston and me after getting some shots outside.

I will post the story soon -- hopefully sometime in the next

week!