No matter the grade you’re in now, freshman orientation was probably the very first memory you have of high school. Playing get-to-know-you games in the main gym, splitting into your Link groups, and meeting the upperclassmen leaders who would guide you through the rest of the year is a core memory for many.
For most freshmen, orientation and the following weeks are the defining moments for their high school experience, so the welcoming presence of Link leaders was a necessity. And now, presumably, as a sophomore or upperclassman, you might be wondering- what was up with those Link leaders, and is it worth it to become one?
Before shutting down the idea, consider the benefits. You’ll get valuable leadership experience, you’ll get to be a role model for the freshmen, you can often work with your friends, and of course, it’ll look good for college applications. Link also offers the potential for higher leadership positions on A-Team, which is a group of leaders that run Link along with the three advisors, Tammy Ceesay, Genevieve Fernandez, and Emma King.
Link takes applications from current sophomores and juniors in the spring. “We will send out the application or we’ll open it up around the first week of April, and then we want it due before spring break,” King said.
She and the other advisors then review the applications, talk with your teachers, and decide who will make a good fit for the team. It’s also important to remember that if you have morning Running Start classes, it might be too difficult to do Link. You’ll need to be at Shorewood for multiple SAS periods a month, so if RS prevents you from doing that, then you likely won’t be able to be a Link leader.
Regarding the commitments that Link requires, advisor Emma King lists a few crucial ones. “You have to be here for link orientation, which is the day before school starts. and then the week before that, we have a training day. So you have to be here for the day in August for a four-hour training… [and] a Link week during SAS, once per month- we’ll always give you the dates ahead of time. And then you have to look at your email and Canvas announcements because that’s how we communicate with you,” King said.
Current Link leader, junior Mahima Bhargava, says her time in Link has been enjoyable. “On a typical Link week we usually get our training on Tuesday, and then we go in on Thursday and we do the lesson during SAS with our Linkies,” Bhargava said. Link has been a great experience for her, she said, because she’s gotten to spend time with some of her friends since they all lead one group of freshmen together.
Additionally, if you’re someone who likes to make a positive difference in other people’s lives, then Link might be for you. Bhargava recalls her experience as a freshman: “I think Link was so helpful when I was a freshman. My Link leaders gave me such good advice about signing up for my classes and what I should do outside of school like starting a club,” she said. Now, the cycle comes full circle as she gets to be that role model for the freshmen in her Link group.
Senior Maren Bell says she enjoys the experience of being on the A-Team, which is an added level of leadership. A-Team members put in an extra day of SAS to prepare for the Link week. “Mondays are the A-team days, and so that’s when Ms. Ceesay and Ms. Fernandez and Ms. King teach us the schedule for Thursday–what activity we do, what questions we ask them–so then on Tuesday, we have a full Link team meeting. Being on A-Team is just kind of an expansion of [regular Link] and just more responsibility,” Bell said.
But for those with busy schedules, you still shouldn’t rule out joining. “It’s not a huge commitment. It’s only a few days in a month. I’m also an editor on yearbook, I’m on the student council,” said Bell.
Personally, Bell’s favorite part of Link is the social aspect. “I like getting to share my wisdom with them or if they have questions, just getting to communicate with people because I think it’s good. There’s so many people at the school, so many different ways you get to meet new people,” Bell said.
