Peer Support Program

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.

WORDS and PHOTOS by FRANCES CARLSON

High 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 Shiebler. 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.”

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

“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

freshmen] and figuring out how we can help them individually.”

Mike explained that confidentiality is vital in making the program a success. “Part of it is because Laguna is such a small community and word of mouth is a big part of campus life. My main concern was keeping trust with the freshmen and making sure that they know that their private matters will stay confidential,” Mike said.

“There is not much of a point in peer support without respecting the privacy of the students.”

Beyond the benefits of supporting freshmen, Mike hopes the program will provide school-wide perks in promoting a more connected student body.

“I feel like there is a big disconnect between underclassmen and upperclassmen, so one of our main focuses is figuring out how to incorporate freshmen into the high school in a seamless way,”

“It has been great to get to know the freshmen better. I’ll see them around campus and they’ll say ‘hi’ and I get excited that the program is really working.”

Additionally, Mike hopes to set up the foundation for a long-lasting program. “I have three juniors who have committed to being mentors-in-training and I will need to find three more before the year ends,”

“My goal is to get trainees to get a good idea of what the program entails and start bringing them into our advisories or whatever events we do.”

“I’ve been working with School Counselor Kim Valentine to start re-structuring the program so it can continue in the future and be more useful. Even though I was hoping for this program to be fully done by the start of the school year, that is unrealistic. This first year is all about trial and error and learning what works and what doesn’t and then figuring out how to make it better next year and for the years to come.”

MEET THE MENTORS

Q: What is the best advice you would want to give to freshmen?

AMELIA FOWLER

A: “My advice would be to relax and enjoy making connections with students and teachers and not worry about every grade or assignment. I wish that I had spent less time stressing over schoolwork and spent more time enjoying myself when I was freshman.”

MAURA JAYE

A: “When I was a freshman, I wish someone told me that the social issues I was having at the time were not a big deal, and in time they would work themselves out. There’s no point in worrying because there’s still three more years to get to know everyone.”

NOAH KAMPS

A: “Try and get to know everybody. I really like everyone in my grade, and I wish I had worked on getting to know everyone a little quicker and sooner. Take advantage of this time because it will make the next couple of years more enjoyable.”

HENRY OTTE

A: “My advice to freshmen is to make as many meaningful connections around the campus as possible. Whether it be different friend groups, teachers, or even parents, the effort you put into making strong connections will benefit you in so

many ways in the end.”

JACK SHIEBLER

A: “My biggest advice would be to participate in the community and get to know as many people as you can. Play as many sports as possible, be in as many clubs as you can handle, and take advantage of all the opportunities you are given.”