AHS Starts Peers4Peers Program

At the beginning of this 2017-2018 school year, Arrowhead started a program called “Peers4Peers,” in which students were trained to be a “resource, a helping hand, a sounding board, and a referral service to other students in need,” says sophomore peer mentor Natalie Andorfer.

Sophomore peer mentor Chloe Argue says they are there to help other students who are struggling, so they can have a friend to talk to—and not just a guidance counselor.

In this program, the mentor has four roles: leadership, educator, peer support and peer mentor.

According to guidance counselor Thomas Stuber, the essence of this program is to empower students to be encourage their peers to make healthy life decisions, mostly through drug and alcohol use, but through life also.

Since this is a new program, Stuber sent out an email informing the students about the new program, and an application was attached to apply for a mentor. This new program was also introduced at WINGS, the freshman orientation week.

Any student is able to join this program at the beginning of the school year by filling out an application and going through the interview process, more information on the AHS website.

Andorfer said in the past she has had difficulties with family members getting into trouble, so she wanted to join to club to help other in that situation, and help them through that time.

Argue was eager to join this club, “to help people out any way they can.”

That is why her favorite part about this club is being a support system for anyone that needs to talk or just have a friend. She also likes “creating connections” with students she would not have known otherwise.

Andorfer’s favorite part is similar being that she loves to know that she is helping someone who is in need of assistance, and “that I can help them get through their situation,” it makes her feel like she is making a difference in their life.