Student Mentorship on Campus and Beyond: New Peer Leaders Announced

Fourteen Upper School students have been selected to join the prestigious Princeton Peer Leadership Program as student ambassadors for the 2024-2025 academic year.

 

The Princeton Peer Leadership Program has been an integral part of Hamden Hall’s Upper School since its inception during the 1989-1990 school year. The year-long mentoring program allows ninth-graders the opportunity to foster connections with one another and learn more about their school community through the guidance of their elder peers – a specifically selected group of seniors who help them acclimate to the Upper School and build community among one another.

 

The newest Peer Leaders are Theodora Aslan, Chase Benivegna, De'ron Dickerson, Lauren Golioto, Calvin Gormley, Delilah Hodge, Eric Huang, Addison Letizia, Daniella Li, Grayson Nichols, Mara Patterson, Sanjiv Persaud, Asher Wasserman, and Nyla Zundell. The group will be advised by Tricia Dowcett and new co-advisor Jennifer Manley.

 

“The Peer Leadership Program is a valuable experience for those involved and we're so excited to work with this group,” said Ms. Dowcett. “These students bring a wide array of interests, personalities, leadership styles, and they are eager to get started. Ms. Manley and I are looking forward to getting to know the group during our three-day retreat in August.  It's going to be a pretty awesome year.”

 

Students are selected for the Peer Leadership program during their junior year following a rigorous application process, which includes a written application, group interviews, and faculty recommendations. After their selection, the Peer Leaders will undergo leadership training each week as part of their regular coursework during the school year. Throughout the year, each pair of Peer Leaders will meet with their assigned freshman group to carry out community-building activities and weekly meetings where they will lead conversations on myriad topics including academic pressure, social and emotional issues, friendships, coping with stress, and more.

 

The newest Peer Leaders will attend a three-day retreat hosted on campus this summer to begin their training. Once the school year commences, the first sponsored event will be an Activity Day at the Beckerman Athletic Center with the entire ninth grade enjoying a full-day of games, activities, lunch, and conversations facilitated by the senior Peer Leaders. The overall purpose of the program is to help streamline the path of academic and personal success for ninth-graders, while the senior Peer Leaders continue growing on the leadership path and applying their training to future endeavors.