For freshmen entering an Agua Fria Union High School District campus, one of their guides through the unfamiliar hallways, new expectations and social pressures of high school may be someone who went through the same transition only a few years earlier.
Agua Fria's Freshman Mentor Program connects incoming ninth graders with juniors and seniors who provide peer support throughout the school year.
Student representatives from district campuses described their experiences with the program during the Sept. 2 governing board meeting. The program is operated across district campuses, according to the meeting agenda.
Mentors also encourage freshmen to become involved with clubs, sports and other activities, giving students opportunities to find others with similar interests.
The benefits don't necessarily flow in only one direction.
Karly Johnson, a Millennium High School student, said serving as a mentor helped her develop confidence.
“I used to be super anxious,” Johnson said. “I still am, but at this moment in time, I find it a lot easier to, you know, go up and talk to people despite the fact that I may be a little shaky.”
Mentors can also provide an immediate resource for students dealing with the most basic challenges of arriving at a new school.
Johnson recalled a freshman approaching her on the first day and simply saying, “I don't know where I'm going.”
For Verrado High School senior Josie Owens, now in her second year as a freshman mentor, the relationships have continued after the formal mentoring period ended.
“It was such a privilege to become a safe space for people who are in a spot that I was once in, giving them constant support and advice that I felt I personally needed when I was at that point,” Owens said.
Mentors also give tours to students who arrive during the school year and help them locate their classes.
“You truly become a sort of rock for many people while in this program,” Owens said. “And that relationship lasts much longer than the scheduled time you were given with them.”
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Meet Stacy Stacy Mantle is joining the team at Independent Newsmedia, Inc. as an Education Solutions journalist, thanks to a grant from the Arizona Community Collaborative. She has a long history in education that ranges from teaching junior high and middle school to developing curriculum and standards-based assessments.
Community: A longtime advocate for animal welfare, Stacy is deeply involved in rescue efforts and volunteers with several nonprofit organizations.
Random Fact: Once upon a time, she shared her home with a pet coyote and two wolf hybrids. The experiences were wild enough to become the subject of her first book!
Education: She holds a BA in English with a minor in Political Science, a Post-baccalaureate in Secondary Education, and an MBA with a emphasis on Marketing.
Hobbies: In her spare time, Stacy writes fast-paced urban fantasy novels, crafts small-batch artisan soap, and is always up for hiking or off-roading through the Arizona wilderness with her husband of 23 years.
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