Trinity Hogben '24 remembers the day she met Meg. It was 7th grade gym class. Trinity and her classmates were playing some kind of game on one side of a curtain, and that's when she spotted Meg, by herself except for her aide, on the other side.
"I couldn't image she was having any fun playing basketball with just her 60-something aide. So I went over and asked her to join us."
They were practically inseparable from that moment on. That fall, at the suggestion of the 60-something aide, Trinity and Meg joined Best Buddies - a non-profit friendship program for people with and without intellectual and development disabilities (highlighted, above, in Saints Go Marching). At the time, Meg was selectively mute. Soon after joining Best Buddies, she started to talk, but only in a whisper, and only to Meg. By high school, teachers had to ask Meg to pipe down.
Trinity, through her friendship with Meg and her experiences with so many other buddies, experienced the power of the program – for others and for herself.
"I've struggled at times accepting myself and my own identity. When I show up to Best Buddies, I just get to be me, and people enjoy your company just because you're you."
That's why Trinity has been a Buddy for almost 10 years, and it's why she's leading Siena's chapter as co-president. And it's also why she took an internship this spring with Best Buddies New York to help organize next month's Friendship Walk.
The annual Best Buddies Friendship Walk at Crossgates Mall in Albany on Sunday, April 14 will be part of a global walk, with more than 50,000 people in more than 70 locations. The event is the leading fundraiser for the program and of personal significance to Trinity. As an intern, she's happily taking on responsibility for its success.
"I've always been involved with event planning as a chapter leader and I've joined Friendship Walk committees in the past, but working for them, I see how much goes on behind the scenes. It's a total shift. It's amazing how much team work and coordination it takes for these programs to run smoothly."
Trinity is making phone calls (an exercise that she admits is unusual for her generation) and giving pitches to potential donors and sponsors.
"I'm getting more comfortable with the pitch. I'm learning to be more concise and get to the point. I'm also expanding my network."
The sociology major, with minors in education and social work, knows that her life's passion the past 10 years will be her life's purpose moving forward. She's not sure in what capacity - perhaps she'll pursue a master's in social work; she may decide to get real work experience first - but she's certain this internship will be invaluable preparing her for what's next. Wherever she ends up, Meg will still be an important part of her life. The two best buddies continue to spend time together every few weeks.
