What began as a small campus club at Christopher High School has quickly grown into a student-led effort to make sure students with special needs feel seen, included and celebrated.
The school’s Cougar Buddies club, founded last year, pairs general education students with students in special education programs through social activities, games and school events designed to foster friendships and break down stigmas surrounding disabilities.
This spring, the club hosted what organizers say was Gilroy’s first prom designed specifically for students with special needs, drawing students and families from both Gilroy and Morgan Hill.
“Inclusivity is our biggest goal,” said Isabel Gonzalez, a junior at Christopher and President of Cougar Buddies. “We want everyone to be comfortable. We want everyone to feel like this is a safe place and we want to change the stigma and the separation of special needs students.”
The March 28 prom at Christopher High School welcomed more than 50 students and about 120 attendees overall, including parents, teachers and aides. Students from Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill also attended.
Unlike a traditional school dance, organizers tailored the event to the sensory and social needs of attendees. Lights were dimmed, music volume was lowered and food options were carefully selected to make students feel comfortable.
“I had a lot of parents come up to me and my officers and tell us that this is something that meant so much to them, because it was something that they never thought their children would get to experience,” Gonzalez said. “They got to dress their child up and take pictures and do corsages and boutonnieres. That was a really big thing for them.”
Cougar Buddies regularly hosts lunchtime crafts and games with special education students and participates in events such as the annual Gifted Games, an Olympics-style sports extravaganza that took place this year on April 24 at Gilroy High. Members additionally help lead orientation tours for incoming freshmen with disabilities to ensure students feel welcomed and supported when arriving on campus.
Gonzalez said she became involved because of family members with special needs and quickly noticed in high school that many students were excluded from activities commonly enjoyed by their peers.
“They didn’t get the same opportunities or events that general education kids received,” she said. “It made me want to make a difference and it made me want to change that.”
The club’s leadership team includes Vice President Juliet Calderon, Treasurer Samantha Gleaner, Secretary Ashlynn Whitman, Representative Esteban Picazo and Social Media Manager Michelle Espinosa.
Cougar Buddies advisor Gina Wilson, a special education teacher at Christopher High, credited Gonzalez and the student officers for transforming ideas into reality.
“Last year when the club formed, there was a lot of talk about what to do, but nobody knew how to get to that point,” Wilson said. “Isabel was able to take the time and figure out how we’re going to get this done.”
Wilson said the prom exceeded expectations, with students dancing for nearly the entire three-hour event.
“None of the students left the dance floor,” she said. “It’s just a great event and we’re hoping to get more schools involved.”
The club has also drawn praise from parents and staff members who say the program helps combat isolation experienced by many students with disabilities.
Regina Olmos, Gonzalez’s mother and a paraprofessional at Christopher High, said she has witnessed students being “pushed to the side” during her years working in special education programs.
“Hearing the positive feedback from parents and teachers—it’s just a great feeling,” Olmos said.
Club membership is open to all students, regardless of prior experience working with special needs individuals. Gonzalez said the organization emphasizes respect, inclusion and learning appropriate ways to support students who may become overwhelmed.
“We want people to participate,” she said. “Sometimes students join and they’ll find a really good friend. It’s such a great community to see now that it’s up and running.”
Looking ahead, Cougar Buddies leaders hope to expand the prom every year and inspire similar programs throughout neighboring communities.
“We hope this becomes a tradition here at CHS, and we hope to spread that tradition into other districts like Morgan Hill,” Gonzalez said.
