After finding her best friend in her first semester at Oakland University and coursing an entire college career together, Maggie Quinn, a Public Relations major, is preparing to let go of her day one. Not a fellow scholar but a student organization, Quinn is ready to wrap up the Winter 2026 semester with the now-traditional Bowling 4 Buddies fundraising on March 21.
Fostering inclusion at OU since 2018, Best Buddies arrived in Quinn’s life in the Fall of 2025, providing an opportunity to support community members with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD). Now four years after a high school friend suggested she connect with the organization, she reflects on how the group allowed her to grow as an individual, professional and community member.
“I really kind of just clicked with everyone right away, specifically, the [IDD] community members,” Quinn, Best Buddies at OU president, says. “Being able to make those connections with them and then other students who are really passionate about the same stuff was really helpful, not only just helping me transition into college at the time, but also just to form connections and find my passion.
Inspired to advocate for IDD adults by her cousin James, who is on the autism spectrum, Quinn exemplifies how campus clubs enrich the community beyond university grounds. Through her experience at the collegiate chapter, she recognised areas of improvement at her Grosse Pointe high school’s peer-to-peer program aimed at helping neurodivergent students.
“They’re definitely trying to improve, because their adult transition teachers reached out to me to see if I could connect them with OU CARES, actually, back in the fall,” Quinn says. “I was like, ‘okay, I want to make that change so that other kids don’t feel isolated,’ because when people were doing the peer-to-peer program in high school, it felt kind of isolating for people with IDD.”
With that goal in mind, Best Buddies has worked on making events inclusive and intentional from their flyers to their locations and activities. The bowling fundraiser stands as an example of combining ADA accessibility and creative initiative to put on an event that keeps growing the community year by year.
“A lot of people that are coming back to this event are our members, our members that are really involved in the organization are our buddies and their families,” Quinn says. “My family shows up every year for this in some way, shape or form. My parents have gone. My cousins are going to be there this year and a couple of my high school friends might be coming as well. Basically, the entire community.”
The teamwork within and beyond the university has awarded the OU chapter, specifically Crystal Brooklier, with the Champion of the Year fundraising award and it has also allowed the group recognition at the national convention.
“I’ve also gotten to know [the families] a lot more outside of my role as chapter president as well so I can support them if they’re involved in something like the summer softball league that some of them do,” Quinn says. “A couple of summers ago, I went to a couple of the games — I will be able to show up and support them when it’s not a school event.”
More of a “see you later” than a “goodbye,” Quinn has her eye on the citizens chapter of Best Buddies which allows adults with IDD and their buddies to continue participating in workshops and social gatherings to advance the efforts after graduation.
“Our annual Bowling 4 Buddies fundraiser is important for two main reasons — it allows us to raise money for events for the entirety of the following academic year and it raises awareness about the importance of fostering inclusion in our communities.” Ayah Neiroukh, former Bes Buddies president, says.
Before then, the 2026 e-board is working hard to promote the March 21 Bowling for Buddies event at 1:30 pm. People interested in the fundraiser can register by March 19 on their Instagram at oubestbuddies.
