Harpeth High hosts inaugural ‘Better Together Conference’ focused on inclusion

Students at Harpeth High School spent the morning of March 18 participating in the school’s first-ever Better Together Conference, a half-day event focused on disability awareness, leadership and inclusion.

The conference, held from 7:45 to 11:45 a.m., was organized by Harpeth Life Skills teacher Jennifer Copeland in partnership with Special Olympics Tennessee. The school received grant funding from Special Olympics and A. O. Smith to support the event.

The conference featured keynote speakers, breakout sessions and a disability resource fair designed to help students better understand advocacy and inclusion while encouraging them to become leaders and allies for others.

The event also reflects a broader focus on inclusive programming in the district. In 2023, the Cheatham County School District was named Tennessee’s first Unified Champion School District by Special Olympics, and Harpeth High School was recognized as a National Unified Champion School the same year.

Keynote speakers share message of resilience

The day opened in the school gym with a keynote address from Tony Memmel, an award-winning singer-songwriter and motivational speaker born with a limb difference.

Memmel shared his personal story of teaching himself to play guitar professionally by designing a custom cast made from Gorilla Tape, encouraging students to approach challenges with creativity, perseverance and resilience.

The conference closed with remarks from Taylor Washington, a former defender for Nashville Soccer Club. Washington spoke about the importance of inclusion in athletics and his work with the club’s Special Olympics Unified Team, encouraging students to strive to be kind both on and off the field.

Breakout sessions and student collaboration

Following the opening keynote, students attended four breakout sessions throughout the morning. In total, 31 sessions were offered, each lasting about 25 minutes and covering topics related to disability awareness, leadership and unified sports.

Topics ranged from “Building a Business While Being Neurodivergent” to “Engineering Solutions for the Human Body,” led by Beau Johnson, Harpeth High School’s 2014 valedictorian and now a mechanical engineer at Vanderbilt University.

Several sessions also focused on Special Olympics programming and unified sports, particularly as Nashville prepares to host the Special Olympics USA Games 2034.

The event also included the premiere of the student film “It’s Our School Too,” directed by theater teacher Jamie Emery and based on a Special Olympics North America script of the same name. Students also demonstrated the school’s new Special Olympics Unified Esports team, led by coach Will Mattingly.

Student leaders drive the event

While teachers and community partners helped organize the conference, much of the planning and execution was led by students.

A group of 31 student conference ambassadors volunteered their time to help organize the event, representing a variety of clubs, sports and academic programs across the school.

Organizers said the student leadership behind the conference reflects its core message — that when students work together across differences, they help build a stronger and more inclusive school community.