Starting a new journey in a new place is always intimidating at first. One of the biggest journeys teens begin is going into high school. Students see high school as a big place with people who make them feel like they don’t belong, but at Tracy High, it’s the total opposite.

The Class of 2019 had a warm welcome into its new home. Alayna Carter, student activity director, gathered juniors and seniors during the summer for Link Crew training for freshmen orientation. “The purpose of Link Crew is to link the upperclassmen with incoming freshmen to make sure that their transition from middle school to high school is an easy transition,” Carter said.

“I chose to be a Link Crew leader because when I was a freshman, my leaders weren’t very good and I wanted to make sure the experience for my freshmen was better,” Madeline Clark said. “It was fun to help the freshmen and answer the questions they had.”

Leaders hosted various activities for the freshmen to help them be more socially involved in Tracy High. Link Crew also organized a rally to talk about what high school is like and what to expect.

“I was super quiet at first. I was so nervous and didn’t know what to expect. Leaders helped me find all the buildings and having that guide is pretty cool,” Alejandra Sanchez, a freshman, said. “It made high school less scary, and when I saw peers in my classes I was able to talk to them.”

Tracy High hopes that the freshmen will get involved in extra-curricular activities or clubs and enjoy their high school experience. Link Crew was happy to guide the freshmen and give them a tour around the school. Link Crew’s goal is for the freshmen to be as comfortable as possible and know their way around.

“My job is to organize the freshmen rally. My favorite part about Link Crew was getting to know the freshmen,” Link Crew Commissioner, Maya Spencer, said. “I feel bad for those who didn’t come and get to experience it.”

Not only did Link Crew leaders enjoy the experience to assist the freshmen, but the freshmen themselves did not anticipate they would feel so welcomed by the upperclassmen. Guiding the freshmen into their new journey was just the beginning.