In the Monmouth-Roseville High School community, athletics mean more than Friday night lights or state tournament runs. For students like Anna Carlson, who proudly rattles off her medals in swimming, basketball, and bowling, athletics are about joy, determination, and belonging. And thanks to a community of teachers, parents, and peer tutors, every Special Olympian in Titan Nation competes with pride and purpose.

Julie Russell, special education teacher and longtime advocate, describes the district’s commitment with contagious pride. “Our students are active in almost every Special Olympics sport — bocce ball, bowling, swimming, softball, and football. And our student body is phenomenal at supporting them,” she says.

That support extends to fundraising. For 15 years, Monmouth-Roseville has fielded a Polar Plunge team — Team Titan Nation — raising thousands of dollars to fund participation in competitions across the state. “It’s a great support system,” Russell adds. “Our seniors even get to serve as peer tutors, working directly with Special Olympics athletes during their school day.”

Peer Tutoring: Lessons in Both Directions

Clay Casteel, a senior and current adaptive PE tutor, lights up when he talks about his fifth-hour class. “There are 12 of us. We go in and have PE with the special ed kids,” he explains. “It’s awesome. All 12 of us look forward to it every day. They’re so happy, and they’re doing what we do. I play basketball, and Ethan — my buddy — he loves basketball. We play all the time.”

Clay admits he didn’t realize how much joy the experience would bring him. “I knew I’d look forward to it, but I didn’t expect how much happiness it gives me. It’s 100 percent the highlight of my day.”

Anna Carlson, one of the athletes, confirms that the feeling is mutual. “Ethan’s my bestest friend of all,” she says, smiling. Peer tutors, she explains, aren’t just helpers — they become friends and teammates.

Anna’s energy fills the room. She eagerly holds up medals — two golds, one bronze, and several silvers — before explaining that the rest of her collection is at home. “Every single thing I do, I do my best to win a medal and add it to my collection,” she says.

Her favorite event is swimming, especially the backstroke, though she laughs about bonking her head on the pool wall. “Everybody does it,” she shrugs.

Beyond athletics, Anna treasures relationships. She proudly recounts receiving a Mickey Mouse stuffed animal from Charli, Julie’s daughter and a Monmouth-Roseville junior. “Little Mickey is still with me. He’s hiding right next to my Elsa stuffed animal,” Anna says, weaving together Disney characters, Looney Tunes, and her own imagination into a rich tapestry of joy.

Passing the Torch

Charli Russell has grown up around Special Olympics, thanks to her mom’s work. “I’ve been volunteering since I was really young,” she says. “Whether it’s track events, baseball, or softball games, I try to be there.” Last summer, she even centered her Miss Warren County Fair Queen pageant speech on the value of Special Olympics.

Now a junior, Charli is considering a career in education, possibly special education. “It’s gotten into my heart,” she admits.

Clay, too, is thinking about the future. His plan is to begin at Carl Sandburg College before transferring to Monmouth College to pursue business or finance. For now, though, he’s content in the moment, grateful for the friendships he’s built in adaptive PE.

For Julie Russell, watching her students and her own daughter serve side by side is deeply personal. She traces her path back to high school at Warren (now United), where volunteering with an elementary student with special needs inspired her to become a teacher. “That’s when I knew,” she says. “And that’s why I’m still here.”

Today, she marvels at the ecosystem Monmouth-Roseville has created: students like Anna thriving as athletes; peer tutors like Clay discovering new purpose; volunteers like Charli finding their calling; and families uniting through a shared mission.

Anna sums it up with her trademark humor and honesty: “I love adaptive PE. And every time school’s out, I say, ‘School’s out — here to shout!’”

Her words may sound simple, but in them, the profundity of impact; they carry the truth of the program itself: joy in community, pride in participation, and a sense of belonging that lasts long after the medals are put away.