Peer Support Program Launches In hopes of supporting freshmen and connecting all high school grade levels, senior Mike Janey introduces a student-to-student mentorship program.
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WORDS and PHOTOS by FRANCES CARLSON
igh school can be an overwhelming concept. Teenagers are asked to keep up with demanding school work, undergo long hours of sports practices and extracurriculars, maybe even hold down a job, and, of course, find time for a balanced social life. In this endeavor, it is sometimes difficult to maintain healthy relationships with parents, teachers, friends, food, sleep, and even yourself. To help combat the extensive challenges that make up one’s high school experience, it is critical to find reliable sources of information and support. Senior Mike Janey recognized this issue and decided to start a club on campus called “Peer Support.” “My objective with peer support is to give freshmen the advice that I wish I had in my first years of high school, but in the context of a peerrun program.”
Senior Mike Janey, founder and leader of Laguna’s new Peer Support program.
“Speaking from personal experience, I am a very anxious person, and I have intense ADHD that wasn’t diagnosed until sophomore year. I feel like all of these things were something that went under the radar, as I was dealing with them on a daily basis. It would have been great to have a peer who was there to help.” Mike got the idea for the program at the end of the 2020-2021 school year. “Well, it started the week of APs, back in May. I was thinking about how if I had known how to navigate through studying for tests, being a good student, and participating in the community, that this would have been a much easier process.” “I started doing work in the spring and made a document with the logistics, the general concept, and the runnings of peer support.” Mike launched the program at the beginning of the new school year, but developed it over the entire summer. “We had weekly Zoom meetings over the summer to keep up to speed with everything.” “One of the first main things that we had to cover was going over the confidentiality rules and guidelines that go with the program. There are some things that [the mentors] are obligated to share with the school regarding mental health issues.” The program consists of six senior mentors who are each assigned one freshmen advisory group. This year’s senior mentors are Amelia Fowler, Maura Jaye, Noah Kamps, Henry Otte, and Jack Shie-
bler. Mentors visit their designated advisory group weekly to talk about all aspects of high-school life. “It’s interesting to see how bringing up a point of concern can spark conversation on matters that need attention and that may have previously been overlooked,” Henry Otte said. “To discover these problems can lead to a better high school experience.”
“My objective with peer support is to give freshmen the advice that I wish I had in my first years of high school but in the context of a peerrun program.” - Mike Janey All mentors went through training over the first weeks of school, including several in-person meetings. “There is still training that will occur throughout the year as different events and issues pop up.” Another goal of the program is to offer opportunities for one-on-one meetings between underclassmen and mentors. If a freshman needs more specific or personalized advice, they can set up a meeting to talk with any mentor in the program. “We also have individual checkins, which are not mandatory but are highly encouraged. This is how we are getting to know them [the
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