Ten Limestone students served as mentors for The Penguin Project’s annual musical Aladdin Junior at Eastlight Theatre
The Penguin Project is an opportunity for children with developmental disabilities to “spread their wings” and participate in a modified version of a well-known musical alongside their peer mentors, who are the same age but do not have disabilities. McKinley Allison, a junior at Limestone and first-year mentor, explained, “To me, Penguin means inclusion. Giving everyone the chance to have an opportunity to be a star or get to have the spotlight on them. It’s really cool because [the staff] work with everybody there and really try so hard to have everybody do something that they enjoy or feel comfortable doing.”
Although it is slightly modified from the original version, Penguin’s version of Aladdin Junior was both visually and audibly stunning. Within the first thirty seconds of the curtains opening, the audience could see how hard the penguins and mentors alike worked since September to produce an amazing show. From dazzling set designs and costumes to magical singing, it was a night of community and inclusion that could sometimes be emotional.
Junior Olivia Cortes said, “It’s challenging and exciting because it’s really challenging sometimes to work with the kids, but it’s also really exciting when you get to see them grow and how much work they put in and how it all comes together in the end.”
Through the countless hours of practice, many mentors develop a close bond with their partners. When asked about her partner, freshman Reagan Monroe said, “I got to find out a lot about her, and she sort of became like a little sister to me, and I loved getting her gifts. She was super easy to talk to, and she was super funny, and we got along really well. It was never awkward between us, so that was, like, really good.”
If you’re a teen with free Monday and Wednesday nights, a love for the spotlight, and a passion for inclusivity, consider applying to be a peer mentor at penguinproject.org next fall.
