Circle of Friends (COF) is a program that provides social and language skills through spending time with special-needs students.

COF provides support strategies for educators to form opportunities for socially isolated students that reduce isolation and increase connection. It can also help them learn leadership skills and discover how the world functions in the context of those with special needs.

Once a week, volunteers visit a specific meeting place and do special and fun activities with special-needs buddies. These can range from playing sports to cooking.

The time spent can be counted as volunteer credits but can also be seen as time gained towards learning specific expertise such as communication skills.

Every year, this program rewards the volunteers and their buddies by inviting everyone to go on a trip to Catalina, where we spend a good 3 days just having fun while bonding with one another.

And as someone who just returned from this trip, I can say that this trip was something that I don’t regret going on. Just to be clear, this trip is pure fun, but also a way for leaders and staff to see how well volunteers prioritize their buddies.

Volunteers are still assigned a buddy to watch, and they are to do that until the end of the day. The exciting part is that there are numerous things to do.

Examples include volleyball, hiking, kayak, ping- pong, swimming, and basketball. Volunteers and buddies are split into 4 teams to compete in certain games.

These games can range from taking specific pictures together to winning traditional Korean games. On the last day, teams with the most points win prizes that range from gift cards to movie tickets.

Staff members on the island provide food that is constantly well made and delicious. Volunteers and buddies live in cabins, and rooms tend to be very cozy at times.

My personal favorite moment would have to be the campfire time, where everyone meets by the beachside, and we set up a campfire to eat s’mores and watch the night sky. I guess you can accuse me of being a bit biased, but I can say confidently that this trip was definitely worth the wait. .

<Jacob Lee Diamond Bar High School 10th Grade>