Just before the curtains opened there was a silence, but not a quiet silence – the type you could feel. Students stood in nervous anticipation waiting behind the thick, navy curtains. As the curtains draw open, they look onto the crowd; the seats were filled with a cheering, enthralled, and teary-eyed audience. The talent show for students with special needs has begun.

The idea of this show – and any Unified Sporting event – is to get those students with special needs involved with normal school life.

The Puma Pals talent show is just one way these students have to showcase their abilities; but what about the people who help them – the people who mentored, coached and supported them?

Talent shows and sporting events are facilitated by advisors Nora Boettcher and Heidi Peek.

“I feel like it makes [special needs students] understand what it feels like to be a part of something other than just coming to school to learn,” Boettcher said

Boettcher and Peek cannot do it all on their own. There are several students who volunteer their time to help coach and perform with the special needs individuals, including junior Tayt Smith.

Smith is heavily involved with four things on campus: basketball, baseball, and he is an officer in the Puma Pals and Unified Sports clubs. Smith helped plan and produce the talent show, as well as the Unified football season.

“[Unified Sports is] a lot of fun. I love doing it,” he said. “It’s so much different than doing everything else. It’s a cool experience to work with them.”

Puma Pals is one of the few outlets that special needs students have to interact with their peers.

“I feel like you should always give back in your community and your school,” he said.

In sports, coach Jose Bracamonte scripts plays for the partners (the volunteer students) and the Unified athletes, and says that the role of partners like Smith are vital.

“The partners play a huge role in our games,” Bracamonte said, “they’re responsible for making sure the athletes are where they need to be at all times.”

However, going about getting the students to participate can be a challenge.

“It’s all voluntary, we talk about it, and advertise it, that we are looking for the buddies and the partners to come help and they do,” Smith said.

The entire team of volunteers are imperative for the success of Puma Pals and Unified Sports. For the Unified athletes, they get to be the super-star varsity athlete or performer for one night, which is a memory that will last a lifetime.