Written by: Kathryn Burke, Staff Writer
Link Crew has had a tremendous impact on the students and staff of the campus, demonstrating their leadership and love to all, as superheroes do.
Link Crew is a club on campus that focuses on welcoming the freshman class and providing them with the support they may need during their transition into high school. Mrs. Avila, Mrs. Mejia, and Mr. Portillo have put in lots of time and effort into the club as the advisors. They work especially hard right before school starts, organizing orientation day, and making sure both Link Leaders and freshmen have fun.
When talking to Mrs. Avila, Link Crew’s main coordinator of events, she expressed her hope to make Freshmen feel excited for high school; although the transition may be intimidating. This community on campus does this by hosting an orientation day before school starts for Poly’s freshmen, welcoming them to the campus, and encouraging them to be involved during their time in high school. They also hold many office hours for tutoring, movie nights, coloring, and snacking to give them a safe space during school. In addition, they host frosh-Fridays, frosh-tailgates, freshman advising day, and commitment to graduate day, demonstrating that there is always someone in their corner. When coordinating these events, Mrs. Avila has shared that she needs to keep things organized and take into consideration students’ ideas as ways to ensure events stay “fun and engaging, while also purposeful.”
Mrs. Mejia, as a freshman bio teacher for her first sixteen years of teaching, shared how she has seen the effects of having an older mentor, who helps freshmen feel more comfortable and confident during their transition. Overall, she hopes that the students take Freshman Advising Day seriously, encouraging them to push themselves harder and to be guided in the right direction.
Mr. Portillo, as a former Link Leader himself, is very passionate about providing incoming freshmen the opportunity to meet new people and being able to get familiar with the environment. In hopes that students stay engaged, knowing it’s “not just school but a family”, he encourages everyone in Link Crew to stay positive and helpful. With all the events the club hosts, they are most excited for the commitment to graduate day, where a student signs a cap and gown for two randomly picked students to wear when their class graduates. This event is a way for them to relax, to take their mind off of academics, and acknowledge that they will succeed and make it to the end of high school with their class.
love to the campus.
Link Crew has always made it a priority to build stronger connections between the upper and lower classmen, strengthening the Poly community. They help build the foundation for Poly’s future and ensure that the environment at school is a welcoming and supportive one. We thank you, Link Crew, for all your effort to ensure the future success of Poly.