PITTSBURG, Kan. — As the semester begins to wind down and students begin to prepare for finals, clubs and organizations across Pittsburg State University are beginning to close out their meetings and activities.

One of the organizations, Natural Ties, held a prom Wednesday evening in the Overman Student Center.

Established in 2009, Natural Ties facilitates “friendships among college students and adults with developmental disabilities from the community.” Throughout the year, the students and adults plan games, crafts, holiday-themed parties, trips to the park, bowling, bingo, and, of course, prom. The events are planned by a student executive board.

Natural Ties President Carlee Brumley, who has held the position for three years, said the prom is her favorite event.

“I love it so much,” Brumley said. “It’s really just sort of a celebration of all of the friends we’ve made throughout the year with our new students or people have been coming for years like myself ... We dress up, we have food, we dance, and it’s just such a great way to celebrate the end of the year.”

Brumley said the group meets once a week throughout the semester.

“We do different activities like bingo or crafts or holiday parties,” said Brumley. “All with the intention of creating friendships with students and adults with developmental disabilities in our local community ... Ever since (I joined), I went every week and I enjoyed it so much.

“... For how much support our community has, it’s kind of easy to be just grateful for the support but then not reciprocating it and I feel like this is such an easy way to give back in a way that’s also beneficial for you and not only your heart but also for whatever professional career you’re going to go into.

“We are going to work and interact with adults with developmental or intellectual disabilities in every capacity of life and this is just a great way to become more comfortable with it. I have never met people with so much love and so much love they are willing to give and just watching students come and open up immediately and they bring their friends and they just love it.”

For Brumley and her college friends, the organization is more than just something that can be put on a resume, its family.

“How many times are you able to just go watercolor for an hour or go do a craft or play bingo? she said. “You just don’t have the opportunity to do that in college and it’s pretty difficult sometimes for me to take a second away from studying and just go because especially being a nursing major, I have a lot to do. Sometimes it’s like ‘Oh my gosh, the last thing I want to do is go and color for an hour’ but then you go and it’s just such a bucket filler. This makes me feel so, so good

“... It’s really just the people. They are always so excited, and they love Pitt State students, and you really just build such connections I never really anticipated. They know like my mom, and they know my sisters, and I know their mom and their sisters, and it’s just such a family really at the end of the day.”

For more information on Natural Ties, visit pittstate.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/naturalties or email krhumphrey@pittstate.edu.

This reporting is made possible, in part, by the Support Local Journalism Project Fund. Learn more at: southeastkansas.org/Localnews.