We’ve got your back! Have you seen this saying around campus lately? Well if you have, you probably remember it from being on the back of the Link Crew shirts! Link Crew is a program designated towards Freshmen. During the summer before high school, each freshman receives a call from either a junior or senior who helps and mentors them while adjusting to the new school year. Throughout the year, the Link Crew leaders plan bonding events for their groups to mingle with their class and meet new upper class-men.

Since the opening of Yorba Linda High School, Mr. Hendry and Mrs. Farrell have shaped Link Crew into where it is today, thinking of new ideas to better the freshmen class as well as choosing each individual Link Crew leader for the new year. Each year, two ASB students are chosen to join Mr. Hendry and Mrs. Farrell, and oversee the program as a whole. These ASB students advise and lead all 80 Link Crew leaders, which then mentor their freshmen. This year’s Link Crew Commissioners are Alyssa Garcia (11) and Deborah You (12).

Some events that consist of the program are Freshmen Orientation, Cocoa Cram and Movie Night. Freshmen Orientation takes place in late August, in which each pair of Link Crew leaders has a group of twelve students, where they exchange numbers, play games, spend time together and then go on a campus tour. Cocoa Cram is a two-day event the week before finals, where Freshmen come into the YLHS Library here on campus and get the opportunity to get tutored by their leader , while having hot cocoa and snacks! Movie night is just what it sounds like! One night throughout the second semester, all the Link Crew leaders join together in the school forum with their freshmen and watch a movie together. In addition to these events, each Link Crew leader meets with their freshmen once a month to give them a small goody bag, offer advice or even send them a note in class.

Link Crew leader, Nicole Espinoza (12) says that “[she] likes being in Link Crew because [she] enjoys making a difference in someone’s high school experience. The freshmen have alot of fun doing the different bonding activities during orientation, and they feel better on the first day of school knowing that they have someone looking out for them. It’s always exciting when [she] sees them through the halls and they run up to [her] to give [her] a hug.”

The Link Crew program here at YLHS aspires to help each new student to adjust to high school well and lets the upperclassmen get involved!