How was your first day of high school?  Were you worried that you’d get lost, or that a senior would throw you in a trash can?

Peer connectors, a club at PHU, are upperclassmen that serve as role models or mentors to freshmen. They ease the typical nervousness of the incoming freshmen by showing them around school and dispelling any fears newcomers may have, relating to them because they were once freshmen too and know exactly how they feel.

“When I was a freshman I had a peer connector and it was such a helpful experience. I actually became really good friends with my peer connector and I wanted to do that for somebody else,” traditional senior, McKenzie Kelley said.

On August 5th, peer connectors and freshmen alike stood in the courtyard at 7:30 AM . They walked around the school campus to get a general idea of where everything was and were able to ask their peer connectors any questions or concerns that they had. Also, they were able to interact with other people in their groups.

“[My favorite part was] getting to know everyone in my groups and talking to them about the school,” IB freshman, Sierra Fox said.

A few days before, on July 30th, peer connectors spent a day at school for a training session, where a schedule was established and they were taken on a tour by Social Studies teacher, Stacy Elliott, around the key points of the school, from places like the bathroom to the portables and TA.

“Training was easy, we just kind of got showed what to do and a runthrough of how the day was going to go and walked around the school and saw some of the most important things we needed to show,” Kelley said.

Have the fruits of their labor paid off? Or did freshman orientation turn into a smorgasbord of miscommunication and awkward silences?

“They were nice and very easy to talk to. At first I had no idea where anything was,” Fox said

The friendly, welcoming aura of a peer connector is indeed genuine. Without them, there could be many cold, hungry, and lonely freshmen in the halls everyday.

“Peer connecting is about helping freshman or incoming students find their way around and being a good friend to them,” Kelley said.

But beyond welcoming freshmen, peer connectors have also helped guide parents and even teachers around campus at teacher meetings and Back to School Night. As August ends and the school year is established, however, a peer connector’s job comes to an end too until the next summer.

So, how do you join? Come late April or early May, students who will be incoming juniors or seniors can pick up an application from Ms. Elliott in room 5-204.