LINKED LEADER

The sophomore girl took a deep breath, sizing up the group of freshmen before her. The laughing, smiling students looked alright to her, but she was anxious for this experience to go well. She had been anticipating this moment ever since the year prior, when she was a freshman. Dhara Patel had signed up for the Link Crew about 3 months prior, in May, with the intention of giving incoming students “the best start to their year.” She was accepted, and she attended a few training sessions with Rocklin High School (RHS) Activities Director John Thompson to get an idea of what to expect. Patel recalled that Mr. Thompson mentioned that if any of the freshmen misbehaved, she could give him a call instead of having to deal with it herself. “That felt kind of nice, to know that we can have support,” she said. Patel was instructed to pair up with someone, and, despite not knowing anyone there, she ended up getting to know Avery Wilkins, who proved to be “a lot of fun to hang out with.” On orientation day, Patel was surprised by her assigned group’s energy; she hadn’t been “expecting to meet so many people who [were] so excited about doing the same thing.” Patel led a bonding activity in which two link leaders and their group of freshmen were assigned a theme and instructed “to create as creative a picture as possible” to send to RHS English teacher Angela Parker. Patel ended up having an unforgettable experience that day through these fun little activities.