DAILY NEWS PEOPLE KRISTIN PATRIAN.

Byline: - Andrea Hescheles

Kristin Patrian walked the same halls with the special education students at Grant High School in Van Nuys the past three years, but never socialized with them.

Then, five months ago, she started a Best Buddies club on her campus.

Now, every Tuesday, Kristin and her buddy Sara Uthra, 18, eat lunch together. The pair share a special camaraderie, spending time together, watching sports events, going to the movies or participating in school activities.

Best Buddies High Schools, a chapter of the Best Buddies organization, provides an opportunity for developmentally disabled students to interact with peers through individual friendships and group activities, such as trips to amusement parks, movies and picnics. ``I used to look at the kids and think, what is wrong with them. But now, my buddy Sara, she's one of my best friends. And Best Buddies' parents call me and thank me for stepping up to the plate.'' After graduation, Kristin will continue to volunteer for Best Buddies, through a college program.

Her goal is simply friendship.

AGE: 17.

RESIDENCE: North Hollywood.

BORN AND RAISED IN: Born in Harbor City; raised in the Valley.

OCCUPATION: Senior at Grant High School in Van Nuys.

MARITAL STATUS: Single.

VOLUNTEERISM: ``I'm the president of Best Buddies. We meet every Thursday for the whole lunch period. During lunch, it's meeting and discussing what we are going to do. We plan outside activities like the 'Meet Your Buddy Party' or talk about what you did with your buddy. With Sara, she's one of the friends now. We see them as our friends. I still have my friends and my friends are their friends.'' Kristin is also a buddy to 16-year-old Cristin Gonzales.

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED?: ``I was in this group called Peer Mediation (a stop-the-violence group where a mediator steps in and counsels students), and Julia (Terbush, the coordinator) came to talk to Peer Mediation about the Best Buddies program. She wanted us to volunteer as a Best Buddy. I volunteered to be president because nobody else did. I had to go through all this training over summer vacation and learn what being a peer buddy was all about.''

WHY DO YOU VOLUNTEER?: ``When Julia first came and explained it, I didn't understand. I was scared. Then, when I went to training, it touched my heart. I'm happy I stayed with it. It's made a big difference in their lives. They're now getting involved. I'll say, 'We're going to Disneyland,' they'll say, 'My goodness, Disneyland.' They didn't know we had a basketball team. Now people are taking their buddies to basketball games. It's a big joy. That's why I volunteer, and that's why I'll keep volunteering after I graduate.''

BIGGEST DILEMMA: ``My biggest dilemma with the club is time. I was trying to plan a sleepover and I had started this two months in advance, and we had to cancel it. There wasn't enough time. Time is the hardest thing for us.''

FAVORITE DAILY TASK: ``My favorite daily task is working on Best Buddies stuff. Usually on a daily basis, I'm doing something for Best Buddies, whether it's trying to get donations from companies, getting people to sponsor us or planning activities.''

GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: ``The 'Meet Your Buddy Party.' ... We all had fun and had a great time. The school had a DJ. I got a lot of compliments from teachers, seeing all those kids smiling and laughing. They said they had never seen those special education kids so happy. They were dancing and trying to copy other kids who were doing the moonwalk.''

GOALS FOR THE FUTURE: ``My goal is to help any way I can to make the buddies as confident as possible. My goal for our club is for the buddies and peer buddies to be as close as they can. At the end of the school year, that the buddies will have made friends. Not just that it's the end of school year. I want them to still be friends with their buddies.''

HOW DO YOU DEFINE SUCCESS?: ``I think after all the hard work that you put into something, if you're happy, that's all that matters. If at the end of the day you can look back and say, 'I did a good job,' then you came out a winner. There's always going to be a critic or someone in the world who doesn't like you, but if you know that you succeeded, that's all the matters.''

VALLEY HANGOUTS: ``Burger King on Coldwater Canyon and Victory Boulevard, the Century Theaters (North Hollywood), CityWalk.''

FAVORITE ACTIVITIES: ``I love participating in Best Buddies, Senior Leadership and Peer Mediation. I love swimming, acting, cheerleading and going to church.''

WHAT WOULD BE A PERFECT DAY FOR YOU:off! ``My perfect Thursday would be if every single Best Buddies member would come to a meeting. There are 90 people in the club. Some days we'll get 40 people. Some days 20. If everybody came on one day and participated in the meeting and gave good ideas, I would be so thrilled.''

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Photo:

Kristin Patrian

John McCoy/Staff Photographer