A high school helping hand: Mentors ease freshmen transition

by Leanne Smith

Livingston Community News

No matter how long ago it was, the mere thought of that first day as a high school freshman can start a flock of butterflies swarming in a person's stomach.

Pinckney Community High School is aiming to make those first-day nerves a real thing of the past with a freshman transition program it's starting this year.

"Freshman year is really difficult,'' said Emily Gillingham, a 17-year-old PCHS senior who's a leader in the new program. "You're in a new place with new people, and the classes get harder. We want to get rid of the jitters all that brings with it.''

Gillingham is one of roughly 100 Pinckney High upperclassmen who are part of the Link Crew, a group of mentors trained to help this year's nearly 390 freshman successfully adapt to high school.

"We're friends and mentors they can come to with any problems they may be having socially or academically,'' Gillingham said. "Freshman year for me was my worst year of high school grade-wise. I think it will make a difference for these guys to know they have someone to come to.''

The upperclassmen, called Link Leaders, welcomed the class of 2012 to Pinckney High with a four-hour team-building program of games and exercises Aug. 28, about week before school began Wednesday.

"It's about building relationships right when they come into the building so they feel connected with the upperclassmen,'' said Michelle Giardini, a PCHS counselor. "If students aren't successful their freshman year, research shows they bomb in high school overall.''

Assistant Principal Marie Schluter, who joined the Pinckney High administration a year ago, witnessed the success of this program first-hand at Redford Union High School. Hartland High School, which also has used it successfully for a while, helped the Pinckney program get off the ground, Schluter said.

"I really believe in the power of peer mentoring,'' Schluter said. "It creates a climate of kids helping each other instead of picking on each other.''

The Link Crew members each contributed about 20 hours of their summer vacations to train for the program.

"And they're all doing this just because they want to make a difference,'' Schluter said. "How can this not be successful?''

The Link Crew is a piece of a new Freshman Academy Pinckney High is implementing this year. Instead of being spread throughout the school, freshmen are grouped in an upper-floor wing where their classes are taught by 14 teachers assigned to them only. Again, the idea is to help the young students get their high school career off to a good start, said Principal Jim Darga.

The mentoring program and the academy are exciting to incoming freshmen David Clark, 14, and Korrin McNeil, 13.

"I'm a little nervous, too,'' McNeil said. "I kind of feel like I'm starting kindergarten all over again, but I'm really looking forward to high school.''