By Ayla Romero
At El Diamante there are so many ways to get involved at school. We offer sports, clubs, academies, but one that doesn’t get mentioned too much is Link Crew. Link Crew is a group of upperclassmen students that work to create a safe and welcoming environment here on campus, especially for the freshmen. At El D, Link Leaders are viewed as mentors who help freshmen get through their first year of high school. It helps their transition from middle school to high school go smoothly as they are provided with all the help they need as far as locating classes and finding out about school events and activities.
Mr. Evans is our Link Crew advisor here at EDHS. He has agreed to answer some questions regarding Link Crew. When talking with him, he mentioned that he previously worked at Valley Oak where they had a program very similar to Link Crew. In that program, he noticed the positive impact it had on both student mentors and the younger students on campus they were helping.
When Mr. Evans first came to work at El D in 2020, he shared, “I was asked to take over Link Crew, and I accepted without hesitation.”
Being a Link Leader is not an easy thing to take on. It requires responsibility, courage, and positivity. It becomes your job to make sure all of the freshmen are settling into the routine of being a successful high school student. It’s a challenging task to take on, and yet, it is so rewarding. The most challenging part of becoming a link leader starts by committing yourself to it. Students often want to join Link Crew but probably feel as if they are not good enough. Mr. Evans wants to provide these students with the skills and encouragement they need to be the best leader they can be.
He commented on what he feels is the best part of Link Crew is, responding, “Seeing them come back after a successful orientation or a small group activity and seeing the confidence on their face that they can actually do it and how much fun they had.”
Since COVID, the Link Crew program hasn’t really been able to as much as they would like to regarding the freshmen. But this year, Link Crew plans to do more than they’ve gotten to do in previous years.
Mr. Evans said, “This year, our student activities class is partnering with AVID to create a freshman mentor program.”
If you are wanting to get more involved with Link Crew, it’s best to sign up for the class. You get to be more hands-on with helping the freshmen. Leaders in the Link Crew class are going to freshmen classes and mentoring them in strategies to help them be successful. The mentors help by letting them know what’s new on campus with everything from homecoming, rallies, clubs, to sports events.
If you’re interested in Link Crew but maybe feel nervous or hesitant to do so, Mr. Evans would recommend for students to, “talk to their friends who are link leaders currently and ask them what they enjoy the most about being a Link Leader.”
Link Crew also provides informational meetings that will be starting in February. We encourage you to attend if being a Link Leader is something you are considering. Mr. Evans also said, “I would also encourage any student who is considering being a Link Leader to come talk to me and ask any questions they have about being a Link Leader. My classroom door is 906, I’m always open and I’m always willing to answer any questions that a student may have.”
Our El Diamante Link Crew is an overall great opportunity for students to get involved and to better themselves as leaders. Link Crew takes pride in their actions and strives to create an outstanding environment here on campus.