Best Buddies Georgia Buddy Beat! - May 2025

Your one-stop shop for all things happening with Best Buddies in Georgia schools.


Need the quick details? We have you covered! Here is a summary:

📌 Program Updates:

  • Faculty Advisor Registration: The deadline was May 1st! Faculty Advisors must complete their 2025-2026 Annual Registration at www.bestbuddies.org/lead. Applications do not roll over, so make sure you're set to join the fun next year!

  • Congratulations to our new 2025-2026 Chapter Presidents! 🎉 We're thrilled to collaborate with you next school year:

    • Emory University: Jessica Newman

    • Georgia College & State University: Sarah Galatas

    • Georgia Southern University: Olivia Peters

    • Middle Georgia State University: Mikayla Blalock

    • University of Georgia: Jheel Dhruv

    • University of North Georgia, Dahlonega: Abby Kimbell

    • Campbell High School: Gabrielle Krupczak

    • Chamblee Charter High School: Talia Rubel

    • Cedar Grove High School: Christiyana Hart

    • Dade County High School: Joseph Cain

    • Decatur High School Clover: Anna Charen

    • Denmark High School: Charlie Shaw

    • Effingham County High School: Nicole Fernandez

    • Fannin County High School: Paige Colley

    • Islands High School: Chloe Toler

    • Johns Creek High School: Sia Lawrence

    • Marietta High School: Lucy Tyran

    • Mary Persons High School: Libby Holloway

    • Norcross High School: Ellie Blue

    • North Atlanta High School: Katherine Schulman

    • Riverwood International Charter School: Mila Snyder

    • Tattnall County High School: Kyleigh Monroe

    • The Paideia School: Callaghan Finnegan

    • Winder-Barrow High School: Camila Yores

🌟 Special Announcement:

  • Congratulations to Jheel Dhruv from the University of Georgia, our first-ever recipient of The Peters Leaders Scholarship! 🎓

🚀 Introducing Our First-Ever Student Advisory Board!

Looking to make an even bigger impact? Apply for a leadership role on our new Student Advisory Board!

👟 Thank You for Walking with Us!

A huge thank you to the following schools that participated in our 2025 Friendship Walk events across Georgia. Your presence made a powerful impact, and we are so grateful for your commitment to inclusion:

  • Decatur High School

  • North Atlanta High School

  • Chamblee High School

  • Denmark High School

  • Talley Upper Street Elementary School

  • The Paideia School

  • Johns Creek High School

  • Fannin County High School

  • Riverwood International Charter School

  • University of Georgia

  • Beacon Hill Middle School

  • King Middle School

  • Emory University

  • Pope High School

  • Collins Hill High School

  • Norcross High School

  • Piney Grove Middle School

  • Ebenezer Middle School

  • Sand Hill Elementary School

  • Effingham County High School

  • Blandford Elementary School

  • Marlow Elementary School

  • Guyton Elementary School

  • Rincon Elementary School

  • Ebenezer Elementary School

  • South Effingham Middle School

  • Islands High School

We look forward to growing the Friendship Walk even more next year!

✅ May Pro-Tip for Success:

Begin planning chapter transitions now:

  • Recognize graduating seniors

  • Transfer social media account log-ins

  • Share important documents

  • Schedule training sessions for incoming 2025-2026 officers

📅 Important Deadlines:

  • End-of-Year Reports: Due by May 30th! Faculty Advisors and Chapter Presidents, please check your email. Didn’t receive yours? Let us know ASAP or click this link!

  • BBLC Registration Deadline: May 15th! Secure your spot now—each high school and college chapter must send at least one student leader or faculty advisor.

🌟 Get Ready for BBLC 2025!

Get ready for an unforgettable weekend of leadership, inclusion, and fun at the Best Buddies Leadership Conference, happening July 18–21 at Indiana University!

Required for all high school and college chapters
💵 $400 + airfare to Indianapolis
📅 Registration deadline: May 15
🔗 Register now: www.bestbuddies.org/bblc

Got questions? Join one of our virtual Info Nights to get the scoop on what to expect!

📥 Chapter Check-In:

Submit your updates here. Congratulations to our recent raffle winner! 🎉

🌟 Buddy Spotlight:

Meet two incredible members of our Best Buddies family who embody inclusion and leadership: Paige Colley and Tristan Marques from Fannin County High School!

📲 Stay Connected!

Thank you for your dedication to inclusion, leadership, and friendship. If you're not attending BBLC, we hope you have a wonderful summer, and we look forward to seeing you next year! 🚀☀️

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!

Sheryl Lee Ralph Dancing GIF by ABC Network

This week, we proudly celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week — a time to recognize the incredible educators who pour their hearts into building inclusive communities where every student can thrive.

At Best Buddies in Georgia, we are fortunate to work alongside an inspiring team of Faculty Advisors, Special Education Advisors, and Lead Faculty Advisors who empower our students throughout the year.

Your support goes far beyond chapter meetings and events — you inspire leadership, foster friendships, and help shape a more inclusive world for all.

🙌 A Heartfelt Thank You

To our Faculty Advisors and Special Education Advisors:
Thank you for your unwavering dedication, kindness, and daily commitment to creating welcoming schools where inclusion comes to life. Your partnership makes our mission possible, and we are truly grateful for all you do.

⭐ Special Recognition: Our Lead Faculty Advisors

We’d like to give special recognition to our Lead Faculty Advisors — the individuals who serve as our primary contacts, support chapter compliance, mentor student leaders, and keep their schools connected to the broader Best Buddies mission.

Your leadership is the foundation of our success. We simply couldn’t do this work without you!

Please join us in celebrating our 2024–2025 Lead Faculty Advisors:

  • Laura Stroer – Beacon Hill Middle School

  • Abbigail Eubanks – Blandford Elementary School

  • Kristin Koontz – Blandford Elementary School

  • Brandi Beck – Campbell High School

  • Jess Gallerani – Campbell High School

  • Royce Beecher – Campbell Middle School

  • Tonya Bush – Cedar Grove High School

  • Gwenn Gee – Collins Hill High School

  • Deidre Stewart – Dade County High School

  • Kendra Belcher – Dade County High School

  • Desiree Cabrices – Decatur High School

  • Ayoka Shakir – Decatur High School

  • Angela Yeager – Denmark High School

  • Kaity Lancaster – Ebenezer Elementary School

  • Misti Vandenhouten – Ebenezer Elementary School

  • Ivory Brown – Ebenezer Middle School

  • Tara Lamb – Effingham County High School

  • Hannah Howell – Emory University

  • Jerrica Green – Fannin County High School

  • Stephen Wills – Georgia College & State University

  • Stephen Griffin – Georgia Southern University

  • Stefanie Ankrom – Guyton Elementary School

  • Anna Aronowitz – Heards Ferry Elementary School

  • Faith Smith – Heritage Elementary

  • Haroldine Kitsko – Howard Middle School

  • Chelsea Solomon-Rogers – Islands High School

  • Kelsey Parker – Islands High School

  • Shaney Malloy – Johns Creek High School

  • Rose Jones – King Middle School

  • Jamie Paul-Miller – Marietta High School

  • Lisa Leiter – Marietta High School

  • Shelbi Allen – Marietta High School

  • Dawn Vorel – Marlow Elementary

  • Alyssa Smith – Mary Persons High School

  • Elizabeth Holloway – Mary Persons High School

  • Madi Horist – Metter Elementary School

  • Jane Strong – Middle Georgia State University

  • Stephanie Rodriguez – Norcross High School

  • Alishia Hutchinson – North Atlanta High School

  • Kim Helms – North Tattnall Elementary School

  • Cynthia Greiner – Piney Grove Middle School

  • Julie "Jana" Barry – Pope High School

  • Kristy Huntley – Rincon Elementary School

  • Brenda Brown – Rincon Elementary School

  • Samantha Dobbins – Riverwood International Charter School

  • Ginger Collins – Riverwood International Charter School

  • Kaberah Williams – Rosa Taylor Elementary

  • Tricia Kerr – Sand Hill Elementary School

  • Kimberly Janz – Sawyer Road Elementary School

  • Hannah Ward – South Effingham Middle School

  • Daniela Jackson – South Tattnall Middle School

  • Michele Way – Springfield Elementary School

  • Melissa McArthur – Talley Street Upper Elementary School

  • Amanda Rogers – Talley Street Upper Elementary School

  • Sarah Willis – Tattnall County High School

  • Callie Paige – The Paideia School

  • Julia Oliver – The Paideia School

  • Georgette Morgan – University of Georgia

  • Amy Williams – University of North Georgia – Dahlonega

  • Cheril Lunt – Winder-Barrow High School

Get Ready for the Best Buddies Leadership Conference (BBLC) 2025!

🌟 Get Ready for BBLC 2025!

We’re thrilled to welcome you to this year’s Best Buddies Leadership Conference (BBLC)—a transformative weekend where leaders, volunteers, and advocates from across the globe come together to grow, connect, and lead the movement for inclusion.

For more than 30 years, BBLC has equipped student leaders with the skills, confidence, and tools they need to build lasting impact in their schools and communities. Now, it’s your turn!

📢 Key Details:

  • Who should attend? Attendance is mandatory for all high school and college chapters.

  • Cost: $400 per participant + round-trip airfare to Indianapolis, IN.

💡 Need help fundraising? We’ve got your back! Set up your personal social media fundraising page here or reach out with questions—we’re happy to help.

💬 BBLC 2025 Info Nights – Let’s Get You Ready!

Have questions about BBLC? Join one of our mandatory virtual Information Nights for everything you need to know—registration, travel, payments, packing tips, and more! All attendees must participate in one session or view the recording.

🗓 Choose a session, invite your parent/guardian, and register today:

🚀 Don’t miss out—we can’t wait to see you in Indiana!

Chapter Check-In Forms - Winner Selected!

Thank you to the incredible schools and faculty advisors who submitted their April Chapter Check-In Forms! Your updates help us provide the best support possible, and we truly appreciate your continued dedication to inclusion and leadership.

🌟 Special congratulations to this month’s digital gift card winner, marked below!

  • Kimia Askari

  • Tricia Kerr

  • Jerrica Green

  • Mackenzie Lundy

  • Laney Heard

  • Faith Smith

  • Shaney Malloy 💳🎁 (Winner!)

  • Angela Yeager

We look forward to continuing this fun tradition throughout the 2025-2026 school year!

Thank you for attending our 2025 Friendship Walk Events!

We want to send a heartfelt thank you to all the amazing schools that showed up and showed out at our 2025 Best Buddies Friendship Walk events across Georgia! Your presence brought energy, joy, and a whole lot of inclusion to each step we took together.

From Atlanta to Coastal to Middle Georgia, your support turned our walks into powerful celebrations of friendship, unity, and purpose. Whether you were cheering, walking, volunteering, or fundraising—your impact was felt and truly appreciated.

🎉 A special shoutout goes to the student leaders, faculty advisors, parents, and buddies who made these events possible. You are the heart of this movement!

📍 Participating Schools:

  • Decatur High School

  • North Atlanta High School

  • Chamblee High School

  • Denmark High School

  • Talley Upper Street Elementary School

  • The Paideia School

  • Johns Creek High School

  • Fannin County High School

  • Riverwood International Charter School

  • University of Georgia

  • Beacon Hill Middle School

  • King Middle School

  • Emory University

  • Pope High School

  • Norcross High School

  • Piney Grove Middle School

  • Ebenezer Middle School

  • Sand Hill Elementary School

  • Effingham County High School

  • Blandford Elementary School

  • Marlow Elementary School

  • Guyton Elementary School

  • Rincon Elementary School

  • Ebenezer Elementary School

  • South Effingham Middle School

  • Islands High School

💛 Let’s keep the momentum going into the 2025-2026 school year—we can’t wait to walk beside you again! 👟

May is all about Senior Celebrations, Leader Transitions, Teacher Appreciation, and End of the Year Wrap Ups!

As you begin preparing for the end of the year and registering for BBLC, remember to end with a plan in mind! 🎉

We have a variety of resources available on Best Buddies University and the Best Buddies in Georgia Chapter Toolkit to support you. These include:
 Leader transition Items
 Recruitment materials
 Training resources from LTD and BTBB
 Other helpful tools to strengthen your chapter

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me at [email protected]. Thanks for all you do!

Upcoming Events

Buddy Spotlight - Meet Paige and Tristan from Fannin County High School!

We are elated to showcase this month’s Buddy Spotlight, Paige Colley and Tristan Marques! Paige and Tristan were submitted by their faculty advisor, Jerrica Green. Please see the quote below to learn more about Paige and Tristan.

“These two have recently made a connection! Tristan loves when Paige comes to hang out with him. Paige has made a huge impact on his life and I believe that the impact is mutual. We can't wait to watch the buddy pair grow!”

-Jerrica Green, Faculty Advisor, Fannin County High School

We are so happy to have Paige, Tristan, Jerica, and our Fannin County High School community with us at Best Buddies in Georgia! Thank you for sharing this spotlight and we appreciate all your hard work in creating an inclusive environment for your school community. To submit a Buddy Spotlight for a member in your chapter, please send a message to Doug Peters at [email protected]!