A:

This is Montana. I met him during the leaders as coaches course. He wants to become a
track coach. We ate lunch together, where we got to know each other a bit more. I introduced
him to Sam, and they instantly connected over running. Montana asked to take a picture with
me, and then he wanted me to send it to him.
Last night, Montana called me. He told me about the track meet that he had on
Saturday. He also told me that Finish Line wants to do a photo shoot with him for Special
Olympics, which is completely awesome! He asked me if I missed him and I told him I did, then
he asked me how much I missed him. He told me that he missed me a lot, too. Then he asked if
we would be friends forever and I told him that we would. He told me a little bit about his family
and when he was a kid.
Montana also asked me about my friends. Then, I mentioned to him that Sam had run
the mini marathon on Saturday. He got really excited and said, “Good ole Sam!” He then asked
how Sam did. Unfortunately, I didn’t have much information for him. Towards the end of the
phone call, he told me that we would keep in touch, to have a good summer, and that he would
call me again because “that’s what friends are for.”

B:
● Glad Montana wanted to talk to me and remain friends
● Proud that Finish Line wanted to honor him with a photo shoot

C:
 ● I was touched that Montana wanted to get a picture with me, because it showed that we
had made a connection.
● I thought that it was so sweet that he called me and that he wanted to stay friends.
● I loved watching his interaction with Sam, because they quickly connected over their love
of running.
● I thought it was cool that Montana was concerned about our friendship.
● I’m so happy that Finish Line is acknowledging the work of Special Olympics athletes.
● It was great to watch Montana open up and smile more as he became more comfortable.
● I liked that he wondered about my friends and was genuinely curious how Sam did in the
mini marathon.

D1:
I grew up with an aunt who had cerebral palsy, so I’m used to people who have physical
disabilities. I haven’t been around many people who don’t look like they have disabilities,
though. Because of these two different experiences, I understood that anyone with special
needs was a person just like the rest of us, but I was unsure how a person with special needs
that couldn’t be seen would act like or think like. During my moments with Montana, I wanted to
love him as the person he is and show him that I think that he is awesome. I was so touched
that he called me, because it was proof to me that I had made an impact on him, simply by
being his friend.

D2:
My book club books have taught me that it is crucial to get to know every single person, and
then I will be able to empathize with all my students and help them in the best way I can. In
Rules​, I learned that just because there is a physical disability doesn’t mean there is anything
wrong with the brain. In ​The Curious Incident of the Dog In The Nighttime​, I was reminded that
some people with disabilities are very, very smart. I learned a lot about inclusion and that it’s
best for students with special needs to be included in the classroom.

D3:
I think that my response to this incident would have been very different at the beginning of the
semester, because I didn’t understand empathy in the way I do now. I didn’t understand as
deeply just how crucial it is to get to know each of my students rather than make any
assumptions about them. Montana showed me that he was still capable of incredible thoughts
and feelings. Though we have some differences, we are similar because we love to run and we
crave relationships with others. He showed me that he deserves to be included with other
students because he can do the same things that they can do. Mostly, he showed me that I can
make a difference in one person’s life. Through my experiences with my aunt and this class, I
feel that I can befriend any special needs student in the same way I make any other friend.
Moreover, I’ve learned that people with special needs have so much more to give me than I
could ever give them. Being valued by Montana is something that I will always remember and
treasure.