Photo Courtesy of Maddi Hassell
When sophomore Maddi Hassell was a freshman in high school, she volunteered to represent her cheer team at the National Down Syndrome Society Buddy Walk in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The day initially began as an opportunity to gain a few service hours, but by the end she realized she had gained something far more valuable than could ever be put on a resume.
“It took a while to figure out what was different — what had changed in me, but every time I tried to talk abut it, or explain it to someone, I would break down in tears,” Hassell said. “After a while, I realized that it wasn’t me who had helped them, it was them who had helped me. The walk changed the way I saw people. Not just people with Down syndrome, or special needs but everyone in general. We are all the same. We just all have our own disability. No matter what it is, we should all be given the same opportunities no matter what we look like.”
Hassell, along with the rest of her cheer squad, set out to create an environment where everyone is equal, no matter their disability. The team began raising awareness about special needs in a unique way.
“We came up with the idea to coach girls with down syndrome to be cheerleaders for a day,” Hassell said. “Every Saturday morning for about a month, we would meet in our high school gym, and teach the girls different cheers, and one full routine to be performed during halftime of a varsity basketball game.”
When it came time for the performance, Hassell said she remembered feeling nervous, unsure of how the crowd, mostly consisting of her fellow students, would react to the girls and their routine.
“When the buzzer went off, cueing the girls to take the court, I remember feeling so nervous. I didn’t know how anyone would react, or if they would be rude. However, as soon as the girls began, I heard the crowd erupt in cheers, and tears of pure joy came to my eyes,” Hassell said. “I didn’t know what to do, but then I realized that it wasn’t really about me — it actually wasn’t even about the girls who participated. It was about everyone who saw it. They got to have that same feeling I did. That new perspective and that outlook … They saw what I saw.”
Photo Courtesy of Maddi Hassell
Even though Hassell has since graduated from high school, the cheer squad has continued the “Varsity for a Day” program, and has turned it into a permanent, annual event at the high school. Hassell said that the true permanent impact has been on the way she views others.
“As teenagers, we are all so guilty of being self-centered and judgmental. Some of us show a disability in physical appearance, while others simply carry it with them. It is up to us to recognize that and move past it, so we can see the potential and capability of each human being. Once you do, it’s a beautiful, powerful thing.”
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