It was an inspiring day at Thomas McKean High School when U.S. Senator Chris Coons joined Special Olympic gold medalist Lucy Meyer in a discussion of inclusion and the Special Olympics on January 17.

"It means so much to me that your school is dedicated to acceptance and inclusion," Meyer told a crowd full of McKean students, school staff, Superintendent Green and guests from Special Olympics Delaware.

Principal Brian Mattix led a Q&A where students had an opportunity to learn more about Meyer, including how she overcame challenges earlier in her life to become a five-time gold medalist in swimming.

Thomas McKean High School was recently named a 2019 National Unified Champion School, joining only 5 other schools in Delaware and 173 schools nationwide. They earned the award by achieving 10 standards of excellence across Unified Sports, Inclusive Youth Leadership, Whole-School Engagement, and Sustainability. McKean is proud to have 3 Unified Athletic Teams across all 3 seasons, plus participation by students with disabilities across other sports and extracurricular programs. They also have an active Best Buddies Club, a number of schoolwide awareness campaigns such as Spread the Word to End the Word, and consistent attendance at annual leadership conferences.