Partners were paired at the annual Best Buddies Matching Party held in the cafeteria Thursday after school.

“I think it’s great to have another friendship in your life and that the friendship is mutual,” junior Sarah Kleyman said. “I love how I can make a difference in their lives and they can make a difference in mine.”

Along with Kleyman, senior James Matthis has also been impacted by having a peer buddy in his life.

“A peer buddy impacts me because I feel like it makes me a better person,” Matthis said. “Sometimes I feel like I’m always focused on myself and by just giving an hour, two hours, of my day to help someone else, it makes me feel better as a person and I feel like I evolve and become better.”

Peer buddies are required to contact their buddy at least once a week and hang out with them twice a month. For Matthis, that minimum is easy to surpass.

“Last year, we went to the mall so this year I want to go to the movies,” Matthis said. “I want to go to this cool restaurant I heard about. It’s kind of like The Cafe and then I want to go to Jumpstreet this year.”

Many students are involved in Best Buddies for various reasons, but peer buddies get to experience something different.

“I hope that we just establish a really strong friendship and that they know that they always have someone to count on and that I can have another person there for me as well,” Kleyman said. “It depends on what she likes to do. I will have to talk about it. Definitely going out to eat, maybe going shopping, watching movies, whatever I would do with my other friends.”