Gracie Gioiosa

Jill Trumpbour’s homeroom prepares cookies to distribute to teachers. Senior mentors helped them to brainstorm this undertaking.

New this year, teachers Dane Leone, Jennifer Lowe, Kathryn Salada, Kayleen Czankner,  Jennifer Cala and Principal Keri Harrington created a senior mentoring program aimed at providing freshman students with guidance and support through their transition to high school. Once a month, the 38 senior mentors in groups of two head out to their assigned freshmen homeroom. 

“We were always really excited whenever the mentors would come in to speak with us,” freshman Nelly Epigh said. “It was a nice break from the Leader in Me, which can get pretty boring.” 

Each month some seniors meet with the teachers who run the program to, among other things, design the lesson plans the group of senior mentors will administer. 

“I think that the smaller group–the student advisory team–being able to come up with the lesson plans has really helped us focus on subjects that freshmen need to know as students. I’m able to use my knowledge from my previous years as a student to really think about what I wish I had heard as an underclassman,” Cider Ayala said. 

Ayala also sees the value in not just teachers or administrators deciding the material learned. 

“If teachers were the ones planning these topics, I think the importance would really dwindle because they don’t have much of a connection to what students need now. There is value in us being so young and still having that input from just three years ago,” Ayala said. “As a student, I’m able to ask my peers what they feel like they need from school, and then I’m able to share that with the group. Usually, we then have a conversation regarding that topic, and we can come up with even more ideas. It’s a very collaborative process that I don’t think would be shared if it were just teachers alone.”

Throughout the year, freshmen have learned about topics like managing stress, extracurricular involvement, looking forward to next year and studying habits. 

“Hearing from students who recently experienced our struggles of being freshmen has helped me become more adjusted to the high school,” freshman Jaelyn Edwards said.  

According to senior Cassidy Clark, the program has also been beneficial for the seniors.

“I don’t really have many classes with underclassmen, so being able to have that connection and realize that I was once in their shoes has been a really great experience,” Clark said. 

“Having a mentor would’ve given me a smoother transition to managing to get through the high school,” sophomore Sophia Pierannunzio said. “My friends who are freshmen this year have told me they really enjoy hearing from the seniors; I feel like my class last year in Freshmen Seminar would’ve liked to be visited by upperclassmen.”  

“From what I hear, the freshmen seem to like it when we come into their homerooms, so I am happy we are able to do that,” Clark said. 

Rising seniors are excited to potentially participate in senior mentorship next year.

“It seems like a good program because, when you first come to the high school, you don’t know about all the opportunities available,” junior Owen Carmel said. “So, I’m excited to maybe mentor next year because it will teach our fellow students about those opportunities directly from students who have already been here three years.”