My classmate, Michael Kelley, has a lot of pride for our school. One of his favorite extra curricular activities is playing on one of our basketball teams. Michael has shown amazing commitment to the sport; he makes the practices and works hard. But unlike his fellow students, Michael is not allowed to earn a varsity letter. Why? Because he has Down syndrome, and our school doesn't allow special needs teams to have letters.

All students who work hard at school-sponsored activities deserve the recognition and pride that comes with earning a varsity letter. We are asking the Wichita School District to establish a policy for awarding varsity letters for special needs activities.

My name is Libby and Michael is my classmate. Like Michael, I love sports. My passion is soccer and I wear my varsity letter with pride. It’s a symbol of all my hard work and the love I have for my school. Whenever I’m going out of town, I’m sure to wear my varsity jacket. It’s a way to keep home and the things I love close to me. Sadly, that opportunity isn’t afforded to all my classmates.

When I learned that Michael wasn't allowed to earn a varsity letter, I thought it must have been a mistake. Wichita East High School is an amazing school in a community with a big heart, so I was surprised to find out that the school district doesn't have a policy that ensures varsity letters can be earned for participating in special needs sports. This broke my heart and I knew I had to do something. Michael works just as hard as I do, shows just as much passion, and loves our school deeply. He deserves to be awarded a varsity letter just as much I do.

I started this petition to make sure Michael, and any other student who earns it, gets the letter they deserve. Please sign and share the petition asking the Wichita School District to establish a policy for awarding varsity letters to students who participate in special needs sports. With your signature, I hope in the near future when I see Michael at school he'll be wearing his varsity jacket with a well-earned letter.