The experiences in high school have lasting effects, both good and bad, on teenagers for years to come. Many students age into adulthood and look back, sometimes fondly, sometimes regretfully on their high school years and wonder what type of influence they really had.

For at least one night in their high school careers, Rose Hill Christian School students Kaitlyn Burke and Joshua Wright will be able to look back and see their date at the school’s Sadie Hawkins Dance meant more than just a reason to wear a formal dress and a suit and go to a fancy dinner.

That a young girl asked a boy to the Sadie Hawkins Dance is not extraordinary in itself; she was only following tradition. That Burke asked Wright is what is remarkable

Wright, 16, in the words of his parents, Lonnie and Beth, “would not have been the typical choice for a popular, outgoing young lady trying to make every moment special her senior year.”

Pictured, Joshua Wright and Kaitlyn Burke pose for pictures before heading off to Rose Hill Christian School’s Sadie Hawkins Dance.

Submitted Photo

Wright suffers from autism, mental retardation, cerebral palsy, water on the brain and extreme speech delay.

“He has his good days and his bad days,” his parents said.

Burke, meanwhile, is co-captain of the Eagles’ cheerleading squad, pretty, popular and outgoing. The two made for an unlikely pair.

However, Burke saw the dance as an opportunity to do something memorable for a friend for whom she deeply cares.

“The reason I asked Joshua is because he has been a very important part of my life and he’s made me a better person,” Burke said. “Why not do something great for someone I love?”

The two students and their families became close friends four years ago when Kaitlyn’s sister, Kristen, was giving him tumbling lessons. The families soon became friends and the two began to spend a lot of time together.

Recently Burke attended Camp Blessing, a camp for special needs children and Burke found her calling.

“Ever since then, I have grown to love them,” Burke said. “God has instilled in my heart a passion for kids with special needs.”

Wright’s disabilities and propensity for an occasional “melt down,” as his parents described it, did not dissuade Burke from going to dinner and the dance with her close friend.

“I knew it would be a joy for both of us,” she said.

The night of the dance Burke was upstairs in her bedroom putting the final touches on her hair and makeup when Wright arrived in a limousine, with flowers for Burke in tow. The two posed for pictures at Burke’s house, then to a friend’s house for more photos.

They joined a group of friends at a Japanese steak house for dinner and then it was off to the dance, were Burke knew what to expect from Wright.

“I knew he loved to dance,” she said.

Wright danced the entire night with nearly everyone in attendance, even those who were too shy to get on the dance floor.

“He did a lot of hugging, too,” Burke added.

The impact of Burke’s actions was not lost on Wright’s parents.

“Kaitlyn has such a servant’s heart,” Beth Wright said. “She truly models Jesus in her actions, thoughts and speech.”

Wright added that she and her husband were overwhelmed when Burke thanked them for allowing her to take Joshua to the dance.

Burke, 18, plans to enroll at Lone Star College-Tomball following her graduation this spring and transfer to Texas A&M University where she hopes to major in special education and minor in sign language.

“A lot of teenagers might have thought it would be a big hassle to attempt such an undertaking, but Kaitlyn said it was no big deal,” Beth Wright said. “Well, it certainly was a big deal to Joshua and his family.”

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