Catamount Resiliency: Buddying UP
Catamount
Resiliency
Hurricane Helene tore through the mountains of Western North Carolina in late September, leaving unfathomable destruction and devastation in its path. Despite facing their own daunting circumstances, the Catamount community stepped up to help the communities of WNC during an unprecedented time of grief, loss and the unknown, displaying their resiliency and fighting spirit.
The WCU University Participant program provides an inclusive, two-year, on-campus living and learning experience for college-aged persons with intellectual disability. The program aims to facilitate UP students' transition from secondary school to adult life with education, employment, and independent living.
Each UP student has a 鈥渂uddy鈥� who provides on-campus support to facilitate living on campus, attending classes, engaging in social and recreational activities, becoming involved in student organizations and developing friendships.
The buddies stayed on campus with the UP students during the storm and the days after.
Even during the uncertainty in the immediate aftermath of the storm, the current UP students, Kylie Andrews, Lucas Atencio, Ellie Black, Devin Crisp, Jamaal Dion, Payton Hepler, Spencer Neill, Grace Lee Oakman, Kai Price, McKenna Priebe, Alison Rathbone, and Emma Wright got to spend their days in the University Center playing games, watching movies and sharing meals with their beloved campus community.
Federica Wielandt, a freshman from Chapel Hill majoring in psychology, has enjoyed spending the extra time with the students.
鈥淭he circumstances are tough, but getting to spend time with them and doing fun activities has been enjoyable,鈥� she said.
Kaylee Lankford, a junior from Jefferson, Georgia, studying pre-physical therapy, was happy to help the students maintain their routines and have fun.
鈥淚t鈥檚 all about keeping routines, even in these hard circumstances,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e still working with them on doing our usual laundry, cleaning, and day-to-day tasks, but we are enjoying this time with them and they are having fun. We enjoyed the games and other amenities WCU provided.鈥�
Neill shared that he enjoys time with friends and is living his dream at WCU.
The buddies are dedicated individuals, but this shows their resolve that no one gets left behind, and they showed up for their fellow students despite dealing with their own circumstances due to the storm.
