The mentor-mentee program strives to make the high school a welcoming place for all new students. Through traditions like senior/kindergartner pumpkin carving and the mentor-mentee program, the school encourages relationships between students regardless of grade.

In the past, juniors and seniors have volunteered to mentor incoming ninth-graders and new older students. Last year, the program paired one or two seniors and juniors with a group of three or four ninth-graders to help them navigate high school: homecoming, finals and academic skills like how to use tutorials productively.
This year, the mentor-mentee program has shifted to only include new students, regardless of grade level, to focus on more one-on-one interaction.

This is senior Maren Overgaard’s second year as a student mentor. “It’s nice to be that kind of a spokesperson,” Overgaard said. “It’s nice to meet the new students and really get to know them, especially after being at SPA for such a long time.”
In this way, the mentor-mentee program aims to foster connections between old and new students.
Junior mentor Sofia Rivera described why being a part of the mentor-mentee program stood out to her.
“I remember my freshman year, and I was really lost in having my mentor help me out for things like finals week,” she said.
While the format has changed since Rivera was a ninth-grader two years ago, the new program seems helpful to her as well. “I do think that focusing on new students is a really good idea,” she said.
The updated program allows for new students to ask questions and to connect with leaders in the school community.
Ninth-grader Grace Berger is new to the school, and although she hasn’t had a lot of time to meet with her mentor, the program feels helpful to her.
“It was definitely nice at the start … I think the mentor program is a good idea,” Berger said.
While the year is just beginning and partners haven’t had many opportunities to meet, the program’s goal is to build a welcoming environment for new students.
Even though the mentor-mentee program has experienced organizational changes, the connections it aims to build between students is still the same. The next meetings will be scheduled by the pairings based on interest and need.