Homecoming history was made recently at a San Bernardino high school.
Two members of the Best Buddies club — a campus group of special-needs students — were crowned as the Homecoming king and queen.
It was a first at Pacific High School.
After their Friday, Oct. 17, victory, Braydon Montenegro and Jael Ortega proudly posed for photos on the football field, standing under an arch of purple and black balloons.
The idea for them to run arose in September, then the two succeeded in getting nominated, Braydon’s stepmother Kimberli Martinez wrote in an email.
Then the club and other supporters campaigned for Braydon and Jael as they faced two other couples in the contest. Their effort included “Vote for Us” stickers and snacks.
“To me, this whole experience is such a beautiful reflection of what Best Buddies represents — kindness, inclusion, and breaking barriers,” Martinez wrote. “It’s about seeing ability, not disability, and celebrating every student for who they are.”
