LC 2011: Reflections

As a student leader and ambassador for Best Buddies Arizona, i can tell you that the Leadership Conference changed my life. I met many new friends including a few from Virginia. Best Buddies Virginia is friends with me on Facebook. I am actually friends with some of the Chapter President's I met such as Ashley Apodoca. I miss my friends James, Ashley and Shelby and I also miss from friend, Brian and the girls I met from Virginia. The girls were really nice to me and I met a staff member from Virginia and they asked me if Maggie is our Program Manager. I said Maggie is the Program Supervisor.

I was able to meet Anthony Shriver, Nicole Raine and Melissa Wong. I shook hands with Meliss and Nicole. They were very awesome.

I really miss my speech coach, Hannah Leary. Hannah was a fun blast to work with and we got to know each other a lot. She came with me into the bookstore to buy an IU shirt on the last day of ambassador trainings. I texted Hannah this morning. Hannah asked me if I was coming back for LC 2012 as she is. I miss you a lot, Hannah!

On the night of the oscars, I heard some of our student leaders say to McKenzie "Don't get us lost, McKenzie" and I asked her what they were talking about. She said she got them lost during LC 2010.

More Facebook News:

I have become friends with Brendan Lemieux from the Kandoo Band. I posted on his wall

‎Brendan Lemieux

You guys rocked the house on Friday! You amazed me and I loved the songs you sang. I brought your song "Take the Diss Out" before LC 2011. It is a great song!

My new nickname is Karaoke Queen and Tim Bolen gave it to me. I feel like I have quite the voice and am ready to sing more at chapter meetings. Watch out Chaparral.

Student Leader advice from a current Ambassador (I am not encouraging this) but you should branch out and with a different state at night one night, which I how I met the girls from Virginia.

LC 2011: What's new

Logo: Best Buddies International


LC 2011 is 8 days away. I can hardly wait too see Emma Kitnick, Charles Calhoun, Rick Shugroue and Whitney Brodersen at the airport. I am also excited to meet Anthony Kennedy Shriver, who signed my ambasador graduation diploma from Best Buddies Arizona.

The flight leaves at 8:55am. It turns out that I am going to pre-board our flight early as I have special needs and my mom checked the option on Wednesday night. I get very overwhelmed by lines. We are flying US Airways. Family and friends, I ask that you pray that our travels are smooth to Indiana on the 22nd of this month. I am sure it will be but I would still like it if you prayed, as it is a 3 1/2 hour flight.

I am sure McNutt Quad will be a nice dormitory to live in for four nights. There will no late nights (past 11:00) as the BB staff will do dorm checks to make sure everyone is in bed.

What is the opposite of nervous? It is excited. I am super excited as I feel like everyone from BBAZ and BBI will be very welcoming, even the other student leaders from many other chapters. Plus, I know Emma really good and all the ambassadors. The party don't start till AZ arrives!!!! I can't wait to make many new friends and continue my friendships that've been going on.

They are going to show a movie called "Shooting Beauty" at the LC. It is about photographers who have disabilities. You can't rent the video from Blockbuster, but you can buy it online, when I send you the link.
http://www.everyonedeservesashot.com/

Keep your eyes on changing the world one friendship at a time. What will your role in The Big Picture be? Please watch the conference live online. It streams live at bestbuddies.tv

I will definitely look for the banner for Dick Van Arsdale in the gym. Plenty of pictures will be taken.

The R-Word in Hawaii

Yesterday at the airport in Maui, I heard someone say the r-word when they were using their phone to look something up and it offended me. Oh how that word offends students and adults with disabilities.

I felt like saying "I feel so offended since you used the r-word. Have you heard about Spread the Word to End the Word?", but time went too fast and it was time to get on the plane.

Please continue to not use the r-word around my friends and I as it offends us. If you haven't made the pledge to end the r-word please do so by going to www.r-word.org and click on pledge and be heard.

Best Buddies and Special Olympics participants and supporters appreciate your pledges and support to ban the r-word.

Thank you

Lindsey Eaton