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- Best Buddies Georgia Buddy Beat! - May 2025
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!

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:
➡ Wednesday, May 14 at 6:00 PM – Register Here
➡ Tuesday, May 27 at 6:00 PM – Register Here
➡ Wednesday, June 4 at 6:00 PM – Register Here
🚀 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!”
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]!