When Carissa Deu first joined Best Buddies at the start of her twelfth-grade year at Brampton Centennial Secondary School, she wasn’t sure where she’d fit in. She had wanted to join the program three years earlier, when she was a freshman, but it wasn’t until her final year of high school that she finally took the leap. What if everyone already has friends? What if it’s too late for me to join?
Carissa was initially drawn to Best Buddies because members of her family have intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). She hoped that connecting with buddies at school would help her better understand her family members’ perspectives – to see the world a little more like they do and, in turn, feel even closer to them.
During the first few meetings of the year, she got to know several students. As she started attending more regularly, she noticed a connection forming with one student in particular: Abisha Sasiharan, an eleventh-grade student in Brampton Centennial’s RISE classroom. The two girls had little overlap in their classes or social circles, so they built their friendship from scratch. “It was hard – Abisha was very shy, so it took a lot of time to get to know her,” Carissa explains. “But I kept showing up, and we opened up to each other more and more each time. We also have a lot of shared interests.”
Soon, their time together began to look like any other friendship. They scrolled through social media, watched TikToks, compared their music tastes, played games like word bingo, and spent hours talking. Consistency made all the difference; the time they spent together at Best Buddies meetings, along with Carissa’s placement in the RISE classroom, gave the girls opportunities to build trust. Little by little, Abisha became more comfortable opening up, both with Carissa and with other students.
Their friendship continued to grow and Carissa began to recognize just how much they had in common. “Our bond has shaped how I see every student in Best Buddies and the RISE program,” she says. “Instead of focusing on what makes someone different, I’ve learned to look for what connects us.”
Throughout the year, Carissa, Abisha, and the other students in Best Buddies formed a close-knit community. They cheered each other on during an afternoon of bowling and teamed up at a field trip to an arcade. For Abisha, who had initially been more reserved in group settings, activities like these became turning points. She had found a space where she felt welcomed and comfortable being herself.
“I’m more accepted with the other buddies and in school as a whole,” Abisha says. “I like that now I have different people I can talk to. I’ve made friends in the program.”
Carissa also began to notice a broader shift in her school community. She watched students become more accepting of differing abilities, more willing to adapt, and more likely to include people who might otherwise have been overlooked. Her experience with Best Buddies taught her that people are often much more alike than they first appear. Communication styles and abilities may vary widely, but the students in the program continue to show up for one another.
“Best Buddies gives people a new perspective and better understanding of students with special needs,” Carissa says. “They can feel more ‘normal’ as opposed to a school that doesn’t have Best Buddies.”
Something as simple as a wave or a fist bump in the hallway, multiplied across a whole school, adds up to true inclusion. Carissa has seen firsthand how much someone’s day can improve when a friend from Best Buddies simply stops to say hello.
She credits the program’s structure – bringing students together in special education classrooms to foster genuine friendship – with helping create a culture of inclusion and kindness at Brampton Centennial. Mainstream students have the opportunity to learn more about IDD while forming connections with people they may not have had the chance to meet. Special education students gain meaningful friendships and a stronger sense of belonging. And teachers know their students have familiar faces throughout the school community who know them, care about them, and can lend a hand when needed.
Abisha’s wish for the future is rooted in her friendship with Carissa and all that she has experienced and gained from Best Buddies. What began as a space to socialize during lunches has grown into a community where she feels accepted and supported. She hopes other students find that same sense of belonging: “I wish for more people to join Best Buddies to create more friendships.”