HELENA — Carroll College has been named Montana’s Unified Champion School of 2025 for its inclusivity on campus and in the Helena community.
The award, which Carroll has now won twice, requires the school to meet three marks: inclusive leadership, whole school engagement and unified sport.
Maddie Visser serves as the president of Carroll’s Special Olympics Club because of her work as a unified partner in high school.
"It is really not about seeing their disability; it is more about figuring out the puzzle of what they are able to do because working within their abilities is far stronger,” Visser said.
The club was founded in 2019 and grew during the COVID pandemic and is still flourishing today.
“The mission of this club is to promote inclusion of people of all abilities on Carroll’s campus," Visser said.
Carroll is also a national banner school, demonstrating a commitment to inclusion by meeting 10 national standards of excellence, and this year earned sixth place nationally for Unified College Championship Week.
“It makes a big difference when you join it," said Alexa Hanser, a unified partner and Carroll senior. "You wouldn’t think you, this small person at this small school, would make a difference to anybody, but it really does.”
In conjunction with the Carroll College Special Olympics Club is the Helena Halos Special Olympics team.
Three Halos athletes serve as representatives on the board of the club.
In addition to the athletes, the club has around 20 unified partners.
"The experience of inclusion is what our whole club is about and is to make them feel like one of us and be a part of something bigger and gives them (a way) to play sports where they are not judged,” Hanser said.
The inclusivity and encouragement the club provides are something athletes are grateful for.
Lylian Ernst is an athlete for the Halos and has been a part of Special Olympics for over a decade.
“It means a lot to me to have such a safe space for such a beautiful family to grow friendships," Ernst said.
