Indiana University isn’t just known for its Hoosier hospitality, for the past 11 years it has been host to the Best Buddies annual Leadership Conference.

  With a record-breaking 1,800 in attendance from 52 countries, the 24 annual Best Buddies Leadership Conference brought buddies together from all over the world. Leadership Conference doesn’t just teach officers and ambassadors how to run their chapters; it teaches them how to accept people for who they are on the inside. The conference embodied how Best Buddies has changed lives all over the world.

“Best Buddies has taught me how to be patient and not to get upset over the little things. I’ve gotten so close with my buddy I can’t imagine my life without him. Not a day goes by that we don’t talk,” said Katie Burgee Best Buddies president at C Milton Wright a two year attendee of the conference.

 Best Buddies is an international non-profit organization that enhances the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, through one to one friendships with people without a disabilities, integrated employment and leadership development. Founded in 1989 by Anthony Kennedy Shriver a singular chapter has grown to almost 1,500 high school, middle school, and college chapters. North Harford High School is one of those 1,500 chapters, along with four other schools in Harford County.  Former chapter president Emily Tucker went to leadership conference in 2011 and 2012.

“Going to leadership conference two years in a row gave me the opportunity to provide advice to new leaders and gave me ideas to help keep my chapter activities exciting. I left feeling inspired and full of creative ideas.  I am positive that without my training during the Leadership Conference I wouldn’t have been adequately prepared to serve as president,” said Emily Tucker, North Harford’s former Best Buddies president.

 Leadership Conference teaches attendees Best Buddies and life skills through interesting, engaging activities and speakers.  Kevin Wanzer a conference favorite, related his life to the goal of Best Buddies. This year’s attendees also had the honor of listening to Lauren Potter talk about her life with Down syndrome and how she didn’t let her disability stop her from her dream of acting. Lauren Potter plays Becky on the hit TV show Glee. The classroom learning was toke place during three workshops the attendees selected before the conference. The workshops ranged from fundraising, parent involvement, the friendship walk, and Best Buddies Online. With each workshop the attendees learned how much they could make a difference in their school and community.

 “The Best Buddies Leadership Conference gave me a whole new outlook on life. So many people involved share one common goal and that’s friendship with people who are different from us but no less. I became a better person from the conference and I accept people for who they are inside,” said Ashley Algard president of Havre de Grace’s Best Buddies.

  Leadership Conference brings together people with disabilities and not from all over the world to change the views society has of disabled people, one best buddy at a time.