Nearly 500 freshmen and their senior mentors celebrated the end of the senior mentor program with a retreat on the football field, participating in a rock paper scissors tournament, writing messages with chalk and standing in position to form “2019.”
“I thought it was pretty cool that they had us form the 2019,” freshman Corynn Farrand said. “I think it was really well thought out.”
The Freshman Transition Program was a mandatory program for freshmen that lasted the entire first quarter, and provided the opportunity for seniors to teach lessons, run activities and give advice about how to achieve successful high school careers.
Reflecting on the program, both the senior mentors and freshmen found varying degrees in the lessons.
“They were really easy to talk to and really helpful,” freshman Aparna Matthew said about the senior mentors. “It was helpful for the first couple weeks, when we were kind of new, but I feel like we’ll be fine without it.”
Other freshmen, however, found the program to be a vital aspect of their transition.
“I just think it’s been really helpful,” Farrand said. “I know a lot of kids will probably say that they found it to be useless, but I think overall transitioning is hard and having those resources is essential to having a good experience freshman year.”
For the senior mentors who ran the program, working with new freshmen provided opportunities for them to reflect on their own high school careers and to give advice from their own experiences.
“I really got to see how the freshman act and compare myself from freshman year to myself in senior year,” senior Lauren Hoyns said.
Senior Julia Walker acknowledges that she has learned a lot through her years in high school that she wishes she could have known as a freshman.
“My freshman year I didn’t take full advantage of all the opportunities I had and I also feel like I made a lot of mistakes and I would love to teach people how to either keep with those mistakes or to correct them,” Walker said.
Freshmen and seniors alike also offered suggestions for the program in future years.
“We would have the program not be mandatory, but optional and at the end of the day,” freshman Erin Ziccarelli said.
Walker also believes a change in attitude for both the senior mentors and freshmen could benefit the situation.
“I feel like the program itself is very good, but I wish I could change the attitudes of both the freshman and the people going into the program because with the right mindset everyone could get a lot more it of it,” Walker said.