It isn’t always easy to make friends after high school ends. 

So when Caeden McLaughlin heard about a program at Denison University called Best Buddies, he thought it would be a way to meet some new people. 

In 2023, he was matched with his Buddy, Denison student Purvika Mitta. Before their first meeting at one of Denison’s dining halls, both wondered if their friendship would be compatible.

Caeden, 22, lives in Newark and enjoys playing Dungeons and Dragons and spending time with his pets.

Purvika, who is the president of the Denison Best Buddies chapter, is from southern India and is studying biology, with plans to go to medical school.

But although they come from different backgrounds, they quickly discovered they have similar, laid-back personalities.

“It’’s nice to talk to him, I don’t feel any pressure, I can be natural and calm,” Purvika said.

“It’s nice to have someone to talk to,” Caeden agreed. “Before Best Buddies, I struggled with making friends. Now I have more confidence.”

Founded in 1989, Best Buddies is an international organization “dedicated to ending the social, physical and economic isolation of the 200 million people worldwide with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” according to their website.

One pillar of Best Buddies is its one-to-one friendship program, which can be held in various school settings, colleges and beyond. The programs match participants with and without disabilities to build and maintain friendships.

LCBDD serves as the host site coordinator for the Denison chapter — which started in 2023 — providing annual training and support to the program. This year there are 23 members.

Since it started, the club has held several large events, including a 90s party, a board game gathering and a pool party at Denison as well as bowling, cookie baking, scavenger hunts and a visit to a local pumpkin patch. Buddies are also expected to keep in touch and meet one-on-one in the ways that work best for them.

Caeden and Purvika have enjoyed attending some of the events and meeting up for a meal together. But it’s also just been nice to text back and forth about how their weeks are going. 

Since becoming Buddies, they texted over the summer, when Purvika was home in India. Both said that even when Purvika graduates, they hope to stay in touch.

They offered advice to those who might be interested in joining the Denison chapter, as a college student or as a person with a disability.

“I’d say just go to an event and see how it goes, you don’t have to be scared to explore and get to know other people’s stories,” Purvika said.

“If you have a child with a disability and they are struggling to make friends, Best Buddies can be a perfect opportunity,” Caeden said. 

The Denison chapter of Best Buddies is always looking for more people (age 18-25) who want to join the program and be matched with a Denison student Buddy. For more information, contact Shannon Wilson at ShannonWilson@bestbuddies.org. You can also click here to fill out an application or click here to go to the Best Buddies website.