The Peer Leadership Program was established in 1989 and serves as a valuable student network and mentoring opportunity for Upper School students to connect with and guide the incoming freshman class. The 2026-2027 Peer Leaders are Devri Aronson, Toby Blackhawk, Rakelly Deoliveira, Bethel Desta, Ben Greenberg, Darius Guest, Devin Harris, Jehan Mody, Anand Persaud, Lila Pisani, Jaycey Ressler, Landon Sassu-Martin, Allie Sticca, and Mia Verderame. Upper School teachers Tricia Dowcett and Jennifer Manley serve as the faculty co-advisors.

The morning of Activity Day began with introductions and expectation sharing as the freshmen were broken up into seven groups with two senior Peer Leaders at the helm of each. The Peer Leaders facilitated conversations about various personal topics meant to break down barriers and create dialogue. The groups engaged in a few different games including group juggling, Silly Story, Peek-A-Who and Poker Face. Peek-A-Who and Poker Face tasked the freshmen with trying to make their fellow groupmates break character and laugh from opposite sides of the blanket.

 

Other get-to-know-one-another activities included What's In a Name, which encouraged students to share and discuss the history and significance of their first and last name as a way to connect with each other on a deeper level. The day ended with a pizza lunch, group dance routines inspired by Class of 2025 alumnus Asher Wasserman, and group photos and reflections of the day before everyone headed back to campus.

“I chose to apply to be a Peer Leader because I remember how lost I felt when I was a freshman, and I know how overwhelming starting high school can be. I want to be someone who could help make that transition easier for others and be there in ways I wish someone had been for me,” shared Rakelly. “To me, being a student ambassador means setting a good example and showing freshmen what it means to be a Hornet, not just by representing our school, but by making people feel welcome and included. I hope the freshmen leave Activity Day knowing that they have people here who care about them and want to see them succeed. High school can have its ups and downs, but I want them to know they don’t have to go through it alone and that there’s always someone who has their back.”

 

Prior to Activity Day, the Peer Leaders participated in a three-day retreat over the summer and facilitated an outreach day to meet their groups during the first month of school. Throughout the school year, each pair of Peer Leaders will meet with their assigned freshman group to carry out community-building activities, advisory sessions, mentoring workshops, and hands-on projects.