The trend began with Allyssa Brubeck. Allyssa is a senior at Park Hill South High School, a varsity cheerleader & a well-liked member of the student body who was elected Homecoming Queen on September 14th. Oh yeah, Allyssa has Down syndrome.
The Kansas City Star pounced on this story & I've seen versions circulating across the nation & even internationally. Here's a little excerpt:
By the time she heard the public address announcer call her name, it may be that the only person surprised was Allyssa Brubeck herself.
So there she was last Friday night, the new homecoming queen, a 19-year-old with Down syndrome, jumping and jumping under the football stadium lights as the full crowd from Park Hill South High School cheered and cried.
“Everyone in the stands was crying,” said 18-year-old classmate Leah Smith. “Everyone loves her.”
And perhaps the best part of the whole experience, say some of the adults who watched it unfold, is that all those high school teenagers behind the Allyssa-for-Homecoming-Queen phenomenon don’t seem to understand what all the outside attention is about.
They certainly understood Allyssa’s popularity in the school she has attended all four years. Always smiling. Always hugging. -courtesy of KansasCity.com
You know what I like best about this story? It isn't the part about the crazed chanting of "Allyssa, Allyssa" as she entered the stadium or the tears being shed by men & women alike in the stands. It isn't the poignant memory shared by Allyssa's friend, Leah. Leah remembered her first year of cheerleading, and Leah was trembling on a cold night without ear muffs or gloves. Allyssa cupped her gloved hands around Leah’s ears, and offered Leah her scarf.
My favorite part of this story is that Allyssa's fellow classmates don't think it's newsworthy. Why would a story about a Homecoming Queen with Down syndrome make headlines? To them, Allyssa is just part of the gang.
And lately it seems like the majority of kids with Down syndrome are just part of the gang. Ask Sam Charpentier, the senior football player at St. James Academy who was elected Homecoming King just a few weeks ago.
Sam is known for high-fiving everyone he meets, remembering each person’s name and asking about details in their lives.
“If you’ve ever walked down the hall with Sam Charpentier … the meet and greet never ends,” said Assistant Principal Jodie Maddox. “What we have gained from his contribution and gifts and talents — it’s immeasurable.”
At the homecoming assembly, he received a standing ovation from the entire school before he joined the other homecoming candidates in a dance routine. -courtesy of JoCo913.com
And that gang also seems to include Caitlin Soder, an outgoing Blue Valley Northwest senior who is following in the footsteps of Allyssa & Sam.
Caitlin Soder was on the field with her mother and her grandfather when crowned Homecoming Queen
At Northwest, Caitlin has been known as a rabid Justin Bieber fan and a student government representative, Northwest Principal Amy Murphy said.
Her mother said classmates have always treated Caitlin like a typical teenager.
“If you had told me 18 years ago when Caitlin was born that she would be homecoming queen of her high school I would have never believed you,” Aidan Soder said.
“We’ve been preaching inclusiveness for how many years now and we’re the ones having trouble catching up, but the kids themselves, the high schoolers, they’re leading the charge,” she said.
At a recent homecoming assembly, students cheered wildly when Caitlin’s name was read.
“I looked at my rough, tough athletic director and the tears (were) just rolling down his face,” Murphy said. -courtesy of JoCo913.com
I realize Kansas City isn't the only progressive place in the nation whose youth celebrate kids of all abilities. It's a wonderful phenomenon spreading far & wide. And according to our very own Amy Allison, executive director of our beloved DSG, "school systems have come a long way over the past generation in including children with disabilities in their general classrooms and programs. They’re growing up together. The fear and intolerance of the past are falling away, and disabilities among classmates are negligible to kids. They see the challenges they face, but they see they are happy and they want to help.”
I know a sparkling tiara & a shiny crown do not symbolize a person's worth. They don't necessarily speak to a person's character or their contribution to society. But to a parent of a child with Ds who immediately thought about "dance recitals & birthday parties" when receiving her daughter's diagnosis, I think they symbolize acceptance. And inclusion. And an amazingly bright future where their peers will see Reese for Reese, and Brooks for Brooks, & they will both just be part of the gang.
I love it!!! Thanks for including my little king! I can't wait for them to meet Saturday!
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