Building a Community
One Student Brings Community Together

Biz Gold, a freshman at WKU, brings community together through school and Bowling Green. Gold has been involved in Best Buddies, Greek life, the Baptist Campus Ministries, and her hobbies brings community together too.


Gold became paired with Shelley Flowers, who has down syndrome and dementia through the Best Buddies Program at WKU at the beginning of the 2023-24 academic year.


The Best Buddies program at WKU pairs students with a person in the Bowling Green community who have intellectual and developmental disabilities. WKU Best Buddies is partnered with Best Buddies International.


“Best Buddies is the largest organization dedicated to ending the social, physical and economic isolation of the 200 million people worldwide with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD),” according to Best Buddies International.

Biz Gold (left) and Shelley Flowers hold hands as they dance to music at Massey Springs Senior Center on Friday, April 12, 2024. Flowers has Down syndrome and dementia. Flowers and Gold like to spend their time together dancing. Gold got into Best Buddies because she has always had a heart for people with disabilities. “I love you,” said Flowers to Gold. “I love you too,” said Gold.
Aside from Best Buddies, Gold is involved with Alpha Gamma Delta, a sorority at WKU. Gold joined Alpha Gamma Delta because it has the highest GPA requirement, the most service requirements, and the lowest dues. Gold is also involved with the Baptist Campus Ministries at WKU and participates in their activities like planting a tree on Earth Day.
Biz Gold holds her sorority flag of Alpha Gamma Delta on Friday April 20 at the WKU’s Agriculture Farm for Greek Life’s annual Tug event. Tug is when sororities and fraternities compete against each other in tug of war. Some of these take months to train for Tug. Gold held this flag while her sorority was competing. Gold wished she had participated in the tug of war as a competitor because she used to do it in high school but she had 2 concussions her Freshman year making her decide not to participate this year. She might participate her Sophomore year. “I really liked it. I think I might try it,” said Gold.
“
I really enjoyed the Greek community coming together and cheering each other on.
— Biz Gold
Biz Gold helps plant a tree on Monday, April 22, 2024 behind the Baptist Campus Ministries at Western Kentucky University. The BCM decided to plant a tree for the very first time on Earth Day behind their building. Gold helped in planting the tree and putting rocks around the tree for landscaping.
Gold normally finds time to destress from her schoolwork and activities by playing basketball at the gym and creating a community there.
Biz Gold (far left) goes to put a basketball in a hoop as another player tries to block her on Monday, April 22 at Western Kentucky University. Gold goes to the gym each week and plays basketball with the guys. Gold was on the track team in the fall and she finds basketball a way to create a community when she is not doing track.
Biz Gold (left) and Shelley Flowers dance to the song, “Yeah!” by Usher at the Massey Springs Senior Center in Bowling Green, Ky on Friday April, 12. Flowers wears headphones that aid in hearing and loves to dance to music. Gold played “Yeah!” because it is a favorite song of Flowers.
“
She always makes me smile
— Biz Gold about Shelley Flowers
Gold's buddy, Flowers, likes to walk outside, sit in the chairs on the front porch, spend time with Luke Walters, who is her boyfriend, and color in coloring books at Massey Springs, the nursing home she lives at.
Luke Flowers (right) kisses Shelley Flowers on the forehead at Massey Springs Senior Center in Bowling Green, Ky on Tuesday, April 23. Flowers and Walters met while they stayed at Massey Springs and started dating. Flowers and Walters spend a lot of time together at the Senior Center. Walters has Down syndrome like Flowers does.

Flowers is hard of hearing, and it is difficult for her to understand what is said. Flowers wears headphones that assist her with her hearing. The employees at Massey Springs said she is always happy and sweet.

Shelley Flowers (left) points at Luke Walters for saying all the ladies that work at the retirement home love him on Tuesday, April 23 at Massey Springs Senior Center nursing home in Bowling Green, Ky. “All of them love me,” said Walters and pointed at the employees who work at Massey Springs in front of Flowers. Flowers was not happy, she shook her head, and pointed at him for saying what he did.
Shelley Flowers (right) and Biz Gold (left) color in Flower’s coloring books at the Massey Springs Senior Living Center in Bowling Green, Ky on Friday, April 12, 2024. Flowers loves to color in her coloring book and Gold joined in. Gold told her about what was happening for her at WKU. “Even though she has a hard time understanding what I am saying, she still loves me and I know that she cares,” said Gold.

Gold and Flowers enjoy dancing together the most, and also spend time together coloring and talking about Gold’s life on campus.

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