Willow Creek, the church I’ve been attending since I moved to the US, has a program that pairs special needs students with a peer mentor. After being impressed by the Willow Friends stage performances each year, I decided to volunteer and be part of this amazing community support. The church hosts an annual junior Broadway performance at the start of summer with rehearsals starting in early March. The mentors are all student volunteers who aid the actors with special needs by shadowing behind them onstage. Backstage, we help actors learn and memorize lines, assist in dance choreography and blocking during onstage rehearsals, and form powerful relationships. In the summer of 2024, The church put on Finding Nemo Jr, and I was paired with Arianna, who played the role of an octopus. She is on the autism spectrum, and despite challenges, we clicked right away and worked eagerly through rehearsals. We still stay in contact and see her at church. In the summer of 2025, the church staged Aladdin Jr, and I was paired up with a new artist, Noah, as part of the dance ensemble. Noah, who is on the autism spectrum and non-verbal, required a more tailored approach to learning the dance moves, but he adapted remarkably well during rehearsals. Although Noah and his family do not attend Willow Creek, so I don’t get to see him often, I do see him in the community and he remembers our time together with a big smile. I see the opportunity to participate in Willow Friends as a way to reach out to new friends, and support the community. I plan to continue to take part in the production and am excited to see what play will be announced for the 2026 summer performance.