Name: Sophie Long
Year: 2017
Hometown: Darien, CT
Major: Mathematics
How did you get involved with Best Buddies?
I got involved in Best Buddies my junior year of high school when a friend of mine started it at my high school. I had a buddy and was the treasurer. I was really excited to see that it was at Trinity, so I joined as soon as I came!
What is the organization?
The organization pairs people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and people without a disability in a one-to-one friendship. The organization also helps people with IDD get jobs. It is a really great organization! We have monthly events with all of the buddies and the members of the club.
What events do you have coming up this semester?
We just had our big event of the year, which is our “Spread the Word to End the Word” event, where we advocate against derogatory language and try to end it on our campus. For April, we have a fundraiser at Sweet Frog Frozen Yogurt in West Hartford on the 1st, and we are going to the Best Buddies 5k and Half Marathon later in the month!
How can other people get involved with Best Buddies?
People can get involved by reaching out to me or anyone they may know in the club, or come to our weekly meetings on Sundays at 6:30 in the Community Service Room in downstairs Mather!
How do you spend your time outside of this club and academics?
Outside of the club and academics, I run Track and Field and Cross Country, and I also spend a lot of time in different schools in the Hartford area because I am training to be a secondary education math teacher!
Do you have any advice for the rest of the Trinity community on how to make the best of college life?I think that my advice would be to get involved in things you are interested in because Trinity and Hartford have so much to offer, and you can meet a lot of people who have similar interests as you and really find what you are passionate about.