“Make some noise!” 

The Unified Spirit team cheered on Creek’s 43-0 win in their first performance of the year during the Oct. 7 football game. Preparation for this performance started long in advance, with peers and athletes practicing every Monday alongside Creek’s cheerleaders. Students who qualify for the ILC program, Creek’s special education program, can participate in extracurriculars through the Unified Program. 

“We play some games and copy routines from [student] leaders,” freshman athlete Ryan DeBolt said. 

Anticipation had been building for weeks, and the athletes couldn’t wait to perform.

“I’m excited to get on the field and have our poms poms,” senior athlete Mikayla Castinado said. 

Peers and athletes learn routines to perform at Creek football games. Student peers are people who are not otherwise involved with the Unified program, but attend events or enroll in special classes in order to support the other students at Creek. 

“I love getting to make new friends that I wouldn’t have the chance to meet otherwise in such a big school,” junior peer Tatum Kraetzer said via email interview. “It’s also nice to be involved without having to be at the center of attention.”

Spirit is only in its second year, but there are already seven athletes on the team. 

“It’s such a fun time to let loose, be yourself,” special education teacher Caitlin Bennethum said. “[It’s an opportunity] to find people with the same interests, people you might not normally hang out with during the school day.”

Unified Spirit is part of the larger Unified Sports program which includes other sports such as basketball, bowling, and track. 

“[The ILC Program’s] goal has really been to push out our students, but also bring peers in,” Bennethum said. 

Bennethum teaches in practical level English, social studies, and theater. She is very happy with the future of the Unified program at Creek, but believes there is always room for improvement. 

“[Outside student] participation has increased over the last couple of years, which is phenomenal,” she said. “We’re looking at starting some new classes to get more involvement during the school day.” 

According to Benethum, it is important to prioritize inclusivity now more than ever, and there are many ways to get involved with Peer Mentor Programs. 

“I’m currently in Peer Mentor PE, and it is easily my favorite part of the day,” Kraetzer said. 

For peers like Kraetzer, she enjoys helping make the program a better experience for both peers and athletes. 

“It’s so fun,” DeBolt said.