Around every other week, Amelia Kane (12) takes her friend and Best Buddy Joanne Tang (12) to get ice cream at Golden Spoon. While the outing can seem like a basic thing, small interactions like this are what makes their friendship special. According to Kane, both she and Tang love ice cream, so it’s the perfect way to spend time together.

Kane and Tang first met in kindergarten but didn’t become close friends until third grade. From that point on, their friendship continued through the rest of elementary school, strengthened by the fact that they were placed in the same fourth and fifth-grade classes. 

“It wasn’t until third grade when we were put in a class together that we really started being friends,” Kane said. “We started playing basketball at lunch together, and that was really fun. She’d come to my birthday parties, and I’d go to her birthday parties.”

In middle school, Kane and Tang didn’t share any of the same classes except Choir. However, they were paired as Best Buddies at Mesa Verde. Every Wednesday, Kane would eat lunch with Tang, and they always said hello to each other in the hallways. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the two kept in touch by writing letters back and forth. It wasn’t until after returning to school, now at Westview, that their friendship became what it is today as they see each other outside of school more often. 

“I didn’t see [Tang] for a while because of COVID, but once we both came back to school, we were paired as Best Buddies again,” Kane said. “Then, for her birthday, we went out to get ice cream, and we were just talking and singing and playing games. Her mom said that [Tang] hadn’t talked or responded like that in years. That was a reconnecting moment.”

Kane credits the length of her friendship with Tang to simply loving each other’s company. 

“We’ve been friends from third grade to 12th grade now, so that’s a long time,” Kane said. “I just love her energy. She makes my day so much brighter and inspires me with how hard she works. I really enjoy being around her and spending time with her.”

It is this bond with Tang that encouraged Kane to begin looking into potential future career possibilities. 

“Joanne, her story, and my connection with her inspired me to want to pursue a career with children with special needs in the future,” she said.

Interested in expanding upon this interest and learning more about special needs education before entering college, Kane began looking for internships that would give her hands-on experience over the summer. Now, she is a paid intern with the ARCC Center Foundation, an organization that employs respite workers and pairs them with families. 

“I am a respite care worker for Joanne and her brother to provide extra aid at home,” Kane said. “I go to her house or take her out for ice cream sometimes. I love it because I just get to hang out with my friend. The best thing about spending time with her is getting to see her smile when I walk through the door. Ultimately, my goal when I’m hanging out with her is that she’s having fun and that she’s able to live her life to her full potential.”

In addition to the internship, Kane has continued her friendship with Joanne in and out of school, giving her the iconic high school experience: everything from pool parties with friends to school events. 

“I’ve been taking her to different social gatherings,” Kane said. “[For example,] her mom didn’t know anything about Harbor Cruise, so I helped her learn about that and Joanne was able to go. We also had breakfast with some friends on 

the first day of school together.”

Since the beginning of their friendship almost 10 years ago, she has looked forward to the time she spends with Tang as an escape from the stress of everyday life. 

“The most gratifying part is having a friend that’s unconditional,” Kane said. “We care about each other. Everything else is so inconsistent and stressful, and everything else comes with a bunch of responsibility, but hanging out with Joanne, there’s no pressure. I can just be.”