High school can be very challenging, especially for incoming freshmen. There is a lot of change that freshmen have to become accustomed to: new people, new teachers, and a huge campus. This transition from middle school to high school is difficult for some, but hopefully, Newport Harbor’s new program Link Crew can make a difference. Link Crew is an organization created to help new students and freshmen of Newport Harbor accumulate to life in high school through connections to upperclassmen and staff. Link Crew Staff Leader Amanda Boyer believes this will be one of the finest additions to the NHHS campus.

While Link Crew is new to NHHS, schools up and down the state have been using this program for quite some time. These schools attribute their graduating classes’ success to their Link Crew program. The efforts of Amanda Boyer, guidance from Principal Sean Boulton combined with support from the Newport Harbor Educational Foundation (NHEF) and Newport Harbor PTA,  Link Crew was transformed from an exciting idea into reality. Link Crew’s first official event was known as “Anchor Down,” a combination of freshman registration, a welcome to campus, and an introduction to the peer mentor program. Through Anchor Down, Link Crew was able to share exciting opportunities on campus and show freshman future classrooms, teaching them the lay of the land from a senior expert’s perspective. 

Being a part of Link Crew is an exciting and fun experience, but not just anyone can become a Link Crew Leader. The leaders are chosen by teachers who think a particular student exemplifies leadership abilities, has huge campus enthusiasm and a drive to help others. I was surprised and honored when I was asked if I wanted to be a part of Link Crew. After excitedly accepting, I and many of my friends underwent several hours of training, becoming Newport Harbor’s first Link Crew Leaders. 

One of the best parts about being a Leader is that you get to share all of your knowledge of high school with the next generation of Sailors. It betters their experience in high school having an upperclassman show them the way through. 

Near the end of the Anchor Down event, a freshman came up to me and told me that they originally were scared for high school and that they didn’t know if they would fit in. They then told me that after today they knew would do just fine at Harbor. It was nice to know that we had already made an impact and it was only day one. I look forward to spending the rest of the year as a Link Crew Leader and I’m excited to see Link Crew become a lasting tradition and hallmark of Newport Harbor High School.