In 2008, Sarah Cronk was a student at Pleasant Valley High School.
She spent her time like many teenage girls do, socializing and cheering at her school's sporting events. Unlike many teens, however, Cronk noticed something was a bit off.
As she walked through the hallways of her school, she realized her fellow students with disabilities were often left out. These kids would go about their days without a single glance from anyone else, no acknowledgments. For Cronk, this issue hit pretty close to home.
Her brother, Charlie, is on the autism spectrum. Although he was an incredibly bright student, he had a difficult time socializing. He would eat lunch in the nurse's office every day and came to dislike school.
In a heartwarming turn of events, a member of the swim team invited Charlie to sit with him for lunch. That small act of kindness turned Charlie's anxiety over school into excitement.
One day after cheerleading practice, Cronk decided to build on that small act of kindness and do something amazing for her fellow students with special needs.
Scroll through below to see the incredible impact Sarah Cronk had on her school, and let us know what you think in the comments below!
[H/T: Des Moines Register]
Sarah Cronk looked around the hallways of her high school and noticed something disturbing.
Her peers with special needs seemed to float through the school day, with no one giving them a second glance.
She remembered a time when her older brother, Charlie, felt like an outsider in his own school. She didn't want anyone else to feel that way, regardless of their disability.
Cronk approached her cheerleading coach and the administration about an idea.
She suggested that the cheer squad open up to include students with disabilities.
They told her she could give her idea a try at the next big game.
The first football game of the season came around, and it was time to show off her newly formed cheer squad, the Sparkles.
"We had no idea if it would be good or awful or how the crowd would react," Cronk explained to The Des Moines Register.
The crowd went absolutely wild for the cheer team's performance.
Needless to say, the Sparkle team stuck, and the idea began to catch like wildfire.
Suddenly, children who walked the halls without a second look from their peers were on the field during halftime cheering for everyone to see.
For the first time, these special-needs kids felt like part of a group, like they really belonged.
Parents watching from the stands looked on in awe as all of these students came together to put on a spectacular performance.
One parent remarked the incredible change she saw in her special-needs daughter.
"She is so introverted and this has brought her out of her shell," said Jennifer Shults. "She puts all of her energy into this and she spends all week looking forward to it. She'll ask, 'Is it Sparkles day?'"
Parents and students alike are incredibly grateful that this program is available.
"It makes me really emotional actually," said Shults. "There hasn't been anything like this in her life before."
The popularity of this program prompted the founding of the Sparkle Effect, a nonprofit that would enable other schools and community programs to start up their own Sparkle squads.
To date, over 150 Sparkle squads have been formed in almost 30 states!
Inclusion in school activities is a major issue when it comes to children with disabilities, but it doesn't have to be.
All it takes is one kind person to make a difference in another person's life.
If you'd like to learn more about the Sparkle Effect, or would like to start a squad of your own, visit their website!
Let us know what you think of this incredible movement in the comments, and don't forget to SHARE with anyone who believes all kids should feel included!
