After finishing plans for the day, mentors remembered what it was like to be an eighth grader during Freshman for a Day.
“This day helped me get more comfortable with upperclassmen as a freshman because I recognized some people from my mentor groups,” sophomore Heidi Skaer said.
Freshman for a Day was a chance for eighth graders to ask questions and experience what high school is like.
“It gives them not only older mentors to look up to, but a look into how useful it is to think about a future and pursue passions in high school,” junior Elijah Quiring said.
Mentors were sophomores and juniors who guided eighth graders on a tour of the building, answered questions and showed them their freshman schedules.
“Showing them around the high school is the best part for me,” Skaer said. “It is fun for me to show them things that I may not have noticed in a while because I am so used to it.”
Mentors filled out a Google Form sharing who they were most comfortable with, and then counselor Harmony Davis organized them into groups of four to lead a group of eighth graders.
“It introduces the freshmen to a couple of upperclassmen as well as help alleviate some of the fear of the first day,” junior Mya Goodmanson said.
These same groups of four will be assigned an ACE class in the upcoming school year that they will visit once a month for mentoring sessions throughout first semester.
“As an eighth grader, my questions were mostly about my classes,” Skaer said. “I was worried that I wouldn’t like the block schedule.”
Freshman for a Day began in Hutter Gymnasium with a panel of mentors answering frequently asked questions from eighth graders. Mentors took turns sharing their best advice on a variety of topics.
“They always want to know how long passing periods are and how the block schedule and lunches work,” Goodmanson said.
Mentors joined Friends of Freshmen to help students in a transition that they faced themselves.
“I love knowing that I am going to be that old guy telling them pointless stories and to get their hands on deck,” Quiring said. “I am excited because if I do it right, maybe they’ll listen to those things.”
