Congrats to Class of 2026

It’s graduation season and Special Olympics Florida is celebrating athletes who are reaching major milestones through college programs, career training, and other education opportunities. Among those graduates are Will Breneman and Sara Parker, whose accomplishments exemplify the achievements of athletes across the state.

Will, an athlete from Volusia County, recently completed the Inclusive Education Services program at the University of Central Florida, earning a Rosen Hotel Management certification. At UCF, Will lived in a campus dorm, balanced coursework with jobs at the campus recreation center and IES office and learned to navigate both campus life and public transportation on his own. The program built his confidence and his maturity. Now, Will is looking to the future, hoping to launch a career in hospitality or customer service.

Sara, meanwhile, earned a degree in communications from the University of South Florida. A Pasco County athlete, Sara is a talented storyteller who would like to use her skills to become an advocate for people with autism and other intellectual disabilities. At USF, she learned to live independently and immersed herself in her studies. She became an Athlete Leader and dedicated herself to becoming “a voice for change for people with ID.”

“My college experience was wonderful, and I learned so much,” she said. She has just three words for other athletes considering higher education or career training: “Go for it.”

The achievements of athletes like Will and Sara – and others around the state – reinforce what members of the Special Olympics Florida community have always known. People with ID will do amazing things if they are only given the chance.