Unified Club at Tualatin High School is in full swing and has had a great turn out so far.
For those who don’t know what Unified is, it is a club where high school students with disabilities get to participate in many activities and sports. Some of them include soccer, basketball, track, kickball and more. Everyone is welcome in Unified and is encouraged to participate in the fun!
Unified isn’t just a school club; it’s a community. It is a great place to make new friends and be a part of something bigger than yourself. The Unified adviser and special education teacher Jennifer Mills talked about what Unified is and how much it means to her.
“Unified is the coming together of students with and without disabilities to create an intentionally inclusive community where we can do a bunch of fun stuff together, just like high school students, like sports, club stuff, activities,” Mills said. “And it means the world to me.”
Unified also means a lot to those who are in it, especially to Mills, who described Unified as her favorite part of her job.
“It feels really cool to be in a position to be able to provide opportunities for these students,” she said. “I think it was just, like, 50 years ago when students with disabilities weren’t even allowed in public schools.”
Rights for students with disabilities have come a long way since then, and Unified club is such a big part of that. Not only do these students get to play sports, but they also get to do other fun things, like field trips, robotics, video games and more.
Sophie Flicker, a junior in Tualatin Unified, spoke about her favorite parts of the club.
“My favorite part is just having a lot of time and effort to play sports,” she said.
Most kids with disabilities don’t get the opportunity to participate in sports, and that’s why Unified has had such an important impact on the lives of all the members. The same impact has been made on all the peer partners, as well. Getting to support and provide an inclusive environment for everyone is a rewarding experience.
Some peer partners took a moment to tell The Wolf about their experiences. Kellen Camberg spoke about how Unified has helped him grow as a person.
“I think it’s really good to build social skills and help expand my perspective,” Camberg said.
Senior Abigail Neuman, the president of Unified Sports, said Unified plays an important role in making everyone feel at home at TuHS.
“I love Unified Sports because it gives everyone a sense of belonging at our school and gives everyone equal opportunities and makes everyone feel welcome at our school.”
