Link leaders help new freshman adjust to life in high school

by Jim BoyleEditorPatrick Alcorn remembers what it was like to be a freshman at Elk River High School.

The senior high appeared to him more like a forest of classrooms and hallways than a school. the fact that nearly 2,000 students roamed Elk River High School did little to settle his anxieties. {snippet instory}

“It was a horrifying experience,” said Alcorn, who now passes from class to class as a confident senior. “Tougher classes, stricter teachers, and an exponentially larger number of people present are only the beginning of the stresses.”

It was hard to miss members of the Link Crew at Elk River High School on the opening day of school, as they all wore matching yellow T-shirts to be accessible to freshmen. Here in this photo is a scene moments before the start of school.

Having Link leaders, high school juniors and seniors who were trained to act as positive role models, motivators, mentors and teachers to guide him and other freshmen, helped him immensely.

He even joined the high school’s theater program at the encouragement of one Link leader, who suggested he try new things. he also made some friends that way and got acclimated more quickly to his new surroundings.

So when the Elk River High School student had a chance to apply to be one of this year’s crop of Link leaders, he leapt at it.

“I feel obligated to help new students adjust,” he said in his application to the Link program.

Others must feel similarly. Alcorn was one of 140 Elk River High School students to apply to part of the Link Crew.

The program is operated at high schools across the nation, including all three high schools in the Elk River Area School District. the transition program is aimed at increasing freshman success.

Members of the group help ninth graders discover what it takes to be successful during the transition to high school.

Elk River High School’s current crop of freshmen met Link leaders at a student-centered orientation last week. This year’s event included an activity fair and a dance. there was even a mini-pep fest to welcome the class of 2014.

But the heart and soul of it was the time Link leaders, fresh off five-hour doses of leadership training, spent going over information on “what every freshman should know.”

Does it take away all the fear associated with that first day of school or that first year? Probably not. but it certainly lessens the load.

“I don’t know how it can’t,” said Barry Hohlen, one of five teachers who went to an initial training in the spring of 2007.

This year was exciting to him and others like Mary Duitsman, a special education teacher who also helped form Link at Elk River High School.

Organizers have witnessed the program grow. This year’s senior class was the first to benefit from the program, which started in the fall of 2007.

“It helped me adjust to life in high school very easily,” said junior Kayla Feige, one of the 98 Link Leaders selected out of a pool of 140.

The presence of the Link Crew was inescapable at both the orientation and on the first day of school, as members wore their bright yellow T-shirts. the Link Crew met before school for breakfast and handed out information to freshmen.

Studies show that if students have a positive experience their first year in high school, their chance for success increases dramatically. the high school transition program provides the structure for freshmen to receive support and guidance from juniors and seniors who have been through the challenges that high school poses. Link leaders understand that the transition to a larger school can sometimes be overwhelming, and they have an important role as reducing the number of freshmen who fail is one of Elk River High School’s goals.

Link Crew continues to provide social and academic follow-ups throughout the year. Topics such as studying and grades will be discussed.

“It’s a big commitment,” Duitsman says.

Link leaders also assist a respect retreat run by Youth Frontiers.

“when (Youth Frontiers) leaders hear we have a Link Crew coming to assist, they are so happy,” Hohlen says. “they know things will run smoother because of it.”

The same can be said of students embarking on their freshman year, thanks to the Link Crew.

For more information, visit the Link Crew Web site at boomerangproject.com .