Bowie Buddies is an inclusive club for students in life skills. A student in Bowie Buddies pairs up with a student in life skills and becomes their friends and does activities with them. They help them connect with students that are outside of the life skills class which helps them socially and emotionally.

Teacher Patricia Maney, is the sponsor of the Bowie Buddies feels that Bowie Buddies is a healthy environment where new friendships can blossom.

“The environment is kind, compassionate and respectful,” Maney said.

Bowie Buddies helps guide the students with life and social skills, and it also gives them a friend outside of their life skills class. The students in life skills also teach the Buddies so many things that aren’t taught in a classroom, according to Maney.

“We all learn from each other in Bowie Buddies,” Maney said. “We support, include, and make friendships with each other.”

Lily Erb is the president of Bowie Buddies. She joined sophomore year and stayed with Bowie Buddies and was elected to be president in senior year. She has found a way to make a difference and make friends with different people.

.“It feels good to be a part of something that is for a good cause and being at the core of it makes it even more special to be a big part of it,” Erb said.

Bowie Buddies is an inclusive group to all people who just want a friend. Students usually sign up for bowie buddies September of each year.

“The meetings are usually held in Ms. Maneys classroom.” Erb said. “Usually they alternate between in the in mornings before school and during FIT, so this year we had a Halloween party during FIT one day and we had the Buddies trick-or-treat and we all stood in a circle with candy and they took candy out of each of our bags, but on a casual meeting we meet with the buddies and try to meet with our buddies individually”

In Bowie Buddies it is important for them to form connections with the buddy they are assigned to, with that comes time to form a relationship.

“We work with the life skills students at Bowie and guide them through their high school experience. We host parties during fit before and after school,” Erb said. “We also write letters every week and form bonds with the buddies you are assigned to.”

Bowie Buddies give people a different type of relationship, a relationship that you do not always get while going through high school. Bowie Buddies provides friends to people who are not always conjugated with the rest of the High School and makes people feel a part of something.

“I think that Bowie Buddies is meant to show perspective to us students that do not have to face the challenges that they do,” Erb said. “We are also just friends, it is a club where you can create friendships and form bonds that you normally wouldn’t.”