Best Buddies at HSE: Building Inclusion Through Friendship

A look at Best Buddies at HSE, a volunteer community that builds inclusion through genuine friendships and low-pressure weekly activities.

Best Buddies is one of the most recognizable volunteer communities at HSE, not because it is the largest or the loudest, but because its mission is unusually clear and deeply human. It is part of an international charitable movement that creates friendships between people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities. While many organizations focus on assistance, mentorship or structured support, Best Buddies centers its work on something simpler and more personal. It is a community built on friendship and social connection. For students at HSE, the club offers a way to form meaningful relationships while participating in activities that feel natural, relaxed and genuinely enjoyable. It is a place where volunteering becomes comfortable even for those who have never volunteered before.

I first interacted with Best Buddies during my first year of university. At that point I knew very little about volunteering at HSE. I only knew that students often described this club as an easy and welcoming place to begin. Later, during my second year, I wrote my term paper about attracting volunteers to the organization. That academic project gave me a clearer view of the club from the inside and the outside. Even while studying it more formally, the conclusion remained the same as my first impression. Best Buddies works because it feels like a community rather than a program.

The first thing that surprises new volunteers is the atmosphere of a Best Buddies meeting. You walk into the room expecting instructions or a list of tasks. Instead you walk into a lively, warm space where people are already interacting. Some are drawing or decorating cards. Others are sitting in small groups telling stories from their week. A few volunteers help set up materials for an activity. Participants enter with confidence and join the conversations immediately. The room feels full but not overwhelming. It becomes clear within minutes that you do not need to perform or introduce yourself in a formal way. You simply sit down and the meeting includes you.

The friendships formed in the club are genuine. Volunteers are not positioned as helpers or monitors. They are equal partners in every activity. Over time, volunteers learn the small details about participants, such as who enjoys creative tasks, who prefers to talk, who loves outings, who celebrates even the smallest achievement and who arrives every week excited to share something they made at home. These details form a sense of familiarity. A participant who seemed shy during the first meeting might greet you warmly at the next one. A volunteer who sat quietly in the corner during an early session might later become one of the people who shows up regularly and helps newcomers feel comfortable.

Best Buddies teaches inclusion naturally. At universities, inclusion often appears in lectures or theory focused discussions. It is something explained rather than lived. But in Best Buddies, inclusion happens through ordinary interaction. You learn to speak clearly and patiently. You learn to give people time to respond. You learn to adjust without making it a performance. You learn to appreciate different communication styles and different expressions of emotion. These lessons come from the experience of being in the room, not from a structured curriculum. Because of this, students often carry what they learn into other parts of their lives.

The success of the club depends on strong organization behind the scenes. While meetings appear effortless to volunteers, they are supported by careful planning. The organizers prepare materials, plan activities, communicate with participants and their families, choose accessible meeting spaces, send reminders and guide new volunteers gently into the flow of the club. Their work allows volunteers to focus entirely on interaction and connection. Without this foundation, the atmosphere would not feel as natural and balanced as it does.

During the research for my term paper, I spoke with several volunteers who expressed similar thoughts. Many joined because they were curious or because a friend invited them. Others found the club by accident. What kept them returning was the emotional clarity they felt after meetings. Students described the club as a place where they could relax mentally. They talked about how Best Buddies helped them disconnect from academic pressure and feel grounded. One volunteer said that the club taught them how to listen. Another said that they felt valued in meetings even when they arrived tired or distracted. Someone else said that they simply liked how they felt when the meeting ended, and that this feeling was the reason they continued attending.

The activities throughout the semester are varied. Some meetings involve crafts, drawing or seasonal decorations. Others involve board games, baking or group conversations. There are outdoor walks in good weather, bowling outings, karaoke sessions and small celebrations during holidays. The activities are intentionally simple. They create conditions for connection rather than distraction. Volunteers do not need special talents or training. They only need to participate with sincerity.

The moments that volunteers remember are rarely dramatic. They remember a participant giving them a handmade card. They remember laughing at a surprisingly chaotic karaoke performance. They remember a conversation during a walk that went in an unexpected direction. They remember a quiet drawing session that felt peaceful after a stressful week. These small interactions add up and create a sense of emotional continuity.

Best Buddies is especially meaningful in the environment of HSE. The university is fast, ambitious and demanding. Students often feel pressure to work constantly. They carry heavy academic loads and juggle many responsibilities. Best Buddies offers a different pace. It is not competitive. It is not stressful. It is a place where presence matters more than achievement. Because of that, meetings can feel like emotional rest. A break from deadlines. A reminder that simple connection has value.

The club is also an inviting entry point for students who want to try volunteering but do not know where to start. Many people believe volunteering requires confidence, strong communication skills or prior experience. Best Buddies shows that none of that is necessary. Anyone can join. Anyone can participate. Anyone can contribute meaningfully. This accessibility is one of the reasons the club grows every year.

Best Buddies also connects HSE to the broader community. Participants come from outside the university and volunteers sometimes stay in contact with them for long periods. Families interact with organizers. The club becomes a link between the university and the city, built on mutual respect and genuine relationships.

Over time, volunteers form a sense of belonging within the club. Some stay for one semester. Others stay for several years. Some return when their schedule allows. But nearly everyone remembers the atmosphere. They remember the calmness of meetings. They remember how natural the interactions felt. They remember the sense of community that developed without pressure or expectation.

Best Buddies does not attempt to solve large-scale social problems. Its mission is smaller but extremely important. It builds friendships. It encourages inclusion through real interaction. It creates a warm and reliable environment in a university that often moves too quickly. It reminds volunteers that connection is one of the most powerful forms of support.

If a student at HSE is looking for a volunteer community that is sincere, welcoming and emotionally meaningful, Best Buddies is one of the best places to begin. It does not require special skills. It does not ask you to be perfect. It simply asks you to show up and be present. The rest unfolds naturally.

In the end, Best Buddies is less about volunteering and more about belonging. It is about people who come together without pretense. It is about small, consistent actions that create real relationships. It is about the way kindness grows when the environment allows it. And it is about discovering that something as simple as spending time with others can reshape how you understand community.

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Maria Zlygosteva