The beginning of the 2024-2025 school year has brought with it a brand new program aiming to support the newest members of the Dons family: the freshmen class of 2028. In a new required “Golden Time” for freshmen, students are paired with upperclassmen as their mentors and spend the time going over study habits, goals, and advice for a smooth transition into high school life. 

Dons Gateway to Success was brought to life by senior Marielle Janigian after she brought it to the administration as an idea at the end of last year. “It’s been shown that high academic performance is linked with students feeling a sense of belonging in their school community. From learning this I felt that a peer mentorship program was important for our students to have,” Janigian said of where the idea for the program came from. Originally Janigian planned on creating a mentorship program for the freshmen in her club, Scholars 

Club, but after speaking to admin she realized the program could be expanded to all freshmen. The school was then in the process of making Golden Time – formerly known as seminar – into an opportunity to give students support academically as well as provide enrichment activities, and so was supportive of enacting the program for the 2024-2025 school year. Janigian stepped into action this year by recruiting 50 mentors, creating lesson plans, and organizing which students will end up in any one of the seven teachers’ classrooms used for the program. “While designing the curriculum, I wanted to highlight life skills and study habits that aren’t taught in traditional classes,” Janigian described of her work so far. “There are a lot of great academic resources for students on campus…but I saw there was a need for a program that could assist students in the interpersonal aspects of school.” The current advisors to Gateway to Success are ASB Advisor Laura Wooster and Multi-Tiered System of Support Specialist (MTSS) Melanie Hodgdon. The advisors serve as, “adult support, backup, and logistical support, but Marielle is running the show,” Wooster said of her role. 

All freshmen are required to join Dons Gateway to Success during Golden Time for half of the semester, while the other half of the semester will be spent in another new program called Dons 101. Unlike the Academic Mentorship Program that has been in place for the past few years to provide subject specific academic support, the goal of the program is to provide ninth graders with knowledge on what it means to be successful in high school as well as to provide social and emotional support. On Mondays, mentors use a lesson plan provided to them by Janigian with one specific theme in mind, such as goal setting, to teach their freshmen mentees. Thursdays are then used as a check in on the lesson. The priority of the program is to create connections between upper and lower classmen as high school is, “So different from junior high in many ways…If kids are coming in without a solid group of friends or without a trusted adult then that is hard, so I feel like students always do better if they are connected to someone,” Wooster said. “This is so important to not only get kids connected to an adult that’s in their class but also upperclassmen that they know and can see in the halls. All of that will help make them more connected to the school and in turn make them more successful academically.” 

Dons Gateway to Success is the first program of its kind at SBHS, and it has been a learning process for all parties involved. “Each week presents new challenges, and myself and our mentors have learned to adapt quickly to changing circumstances,” Janigian shared on how the program is going so far. “As much planning…is involved in creating each of our lessons, there are some things you just won’t know until you meet with your group.” Despite only being in effect for a few weeks, already both freshmen and their upperclassmen mentors are seeing the benefits of the program. So far, the mentor groups have spent Golden Time talking about their goals and intentions for the year and gaining advice from the upperclassmen. Freshman Annie Obregon said that the Golden Time program has, “made me more comfortable with the school.” Her mentor, senior Amani Dewar, feels that, “It’s a good way to feel like I’m giving back to the school and helping (the underclassmen) … Sometimes we kind of get separated by grade level, but I feel like with this program…I get to meet people in different grade levels…It’s a good experience with leading a group and developing better interpersonal skills.” Senior Danika Mislang has also enjoyed her time as a mentor, using the time to share insight on how to adjust socially and to not lose connections in high school. Mislang’s mentees have been receptive to the advice, saying, “She’s not changing things about (high school) but…it’s helping my mindset…Coming from an upperclassmen, getting advice is helpful.” According to Wooster, “We haven’t necessarily had consistent support for ninth graders before so this…gives a consistent face and support from an older kid to the ninth graders…It could really change a student’s freshman year but also the trajectory of the rest of their high school career as well.” 

By forming connections between upperclassmen and freshmen, Dons Gateway to Success is creating a support system for the youngest members of the SBHS family, and at the same time reimagining what mentorship can mean for students. Even in its inaugural year, Gateway to Success is sure to have lasting impacts on campus. Janigian concluded, “I look forward to the future of this program and the lasting legacy it will have at SBHS.”

[Image Credit: Mary Moses]