In Celebration of World Down Syndrome Day on March 21st, we interviewed two of the newest members of the Young Friends Board, Self-Advocates Joseph Niemeyer and Tiffany Prapaisilp. They told us about themselves, their favorite things, what they do in their free time, and why they wanted to become a part of DSAGSL and the Young Friends Board.
Joseph works at Culver’s and competes in the Special Olympics, primarily basketball. He loves spending time with family and playing games. He also enjoys watching TV on Hulu, Netflix, and YouTube. His favorite activities to do with friends are going out to lunch, bowling, and playing sports. His favorite activities to do with his family include playing Mario Kart with his mother (his favorite character to play is Mario), and he likes watching TV and playing games with his father.
His favorite food is pasta, Mexican, and Chinese. Country music is his favorite and his favorite artists are Luke Combs, Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, and Rascal Flatts. He also loves Maroon 5 and Bruno Mars.
He told us he likes being a part of DSAGSL because there are different opportunities and events to participate in and he likes to try ou tall of the different things there are to do. Joseph says, what makes him a self-advocate is being a role model for the Special Olympics and the schools he goes to, and going to schools and telling kids how he is more similar than different to them. He wanted to be on the Young Friends Board because he wanted to work with all of his friends and give ideas and different options for events. He is most looking forward to the bowling tournament on March 20th to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day and other future events.
Tiffany sometimes works at her family’s restaurants and her hobbies include baking and sports – primarily curling, swimming, and bowling. Her favorite activities to do with friends are bowling, playing games, talking about boys, and laughing. Her favorite activities to do with family are playing card games and spending time with them.
Tiffany’s favorite food is Mexican food, mainly quesadillas, and her favorite singer is Blake Shelton.
Tiffany says she likes being a part of DSAGSL because she gets to be with her friends and make new ones. She defines her self-advocacy as helping people. She wanted to be on the Young Friends Board to help people get along and meet new people. This is her first time being on the Young Friends Board and she is looking forward to helping people and meeting new people.
If she could tell people without Down syndrome anything, she would tell them to be helpful and happy, help your family, be nice to your friends, and get along with everyone.
She is excited about her trip to Thailand. She is going with her parents and can’t wait to visit her grandmother.
THANKS SO MUCH TO TIFFANY AND JOSEPH FOR SHARING MORE ABOUT THEMSELVES WITH ALL OF US!
We are so excited to have them as part of the Young Friends Board of DSAGSL!
