““After graduating from Le Moyne College, I consulted on a multi year project between Upstate Medical University and Syracuse University. Our goal was to bring adaptive sports and inclusive recreational opportunities to as many people in the Central New York area as possible. Being an athlete with a disability, I knew firsthand how important mainstream and accessible opportunities were to activating a young person with a disability… Community engagement, on the other hand, was not something I was so well versed in.
Cue Michel John Heagerty. Outside of my newfound community engagement trials and tribulations, I had recently moved into the city of Syracuse and exploitation was top of my to-do. Friends and I started to frequent a local Irish pub that had quite the Monday night trivia challenge. Michael was the host of trivia and whether it was joking about ridiculous answers my team would submit or catching up on different things going on in Syracuse, we got to know one another. Monday nights grew in popularity at Kitty Hoyne’s, largely because of the laid-back trivia and the engaging host. I observed his ability to flow from one trivia team to another, engaging with most everyone. Different people, at different stages in life, meeting up at the start of the week to share food and drink and laughter.
I credited his ability to be interesting by being interested in those he interacted with. I strove to emulate his community building in my own. Granted, building a sense of community is a bit easier when those you are selling to are sipping on a pint but the core of these practices remain solid. Respect those you have in front of you. Know everyone has something to offer, especially if they do not know it themselves. Seek connections in the moment through past experiences and future plans.””
— Peyton Sefick Alongside the Arise Adaptive Design team, Peyton continues his community engagement as a newly named co-director of Partners in Inclusion.
