Mentors of Today and Tomorrow: New Peer Leaders Announced

Twelve Upper School students have been selected to join an impressive roster of past student ambassadors as Peer Leaders for the 2023-2024 academic year.

The Princeton Peer Leadership Program, established during the 1989-1990 school year, offers ninth graders a yearlong orientation and social mentoring opportunity as administered by their peers - 12 specially selected incoming seniors. The Peer Leaders will undergo leadership training each week as part of their regular coursework.

 

This year’s Peer Leaders are Casey Armstrong, Charles Botsman, Jake Cacace, Will Christman, Tyler Gibson, Sarah Marro, Monte Meng, Elizabeth O'Hern, Mason Rickey, Jaden Rossi, Sally Temeur, and Gabi Velez. The new group also brings on new faculty leadership with Charlie Alexander and Tricia Dowcett serving as co-advisors. 

 

For many years, Chase du Pont 2002 - a Peer Leader himself during his days under the pines - and Lisa Daly, also a Peer Leader in her former high school, were at the helm of the coveted program. 

 

“Peer Leadership is an integral part of Hamden Hall's fabric because it helps students understand what it means to be contributing members of the community, both on campus and beyond,” said Ms. Dowcett. “The newest Peer Leaders are a diverse group with a wide array of skills and experiences. Each one has demonstrated leadership, and we are confident that they will work well with the range of students we have on campus.”

 

Students are selected for the Peer Leadership program during their junior year following a rigorous application process including a written application, group interviews, and faculty recommendations. The selected group will attend a three-day retreat this August. Throughout the school year, each pair of Peer Leaders will meet with their assigned freshman group to carry out community-building activities and exercises. They will also lead conversations on myriad topics including academic pressure, social and emotional issues, friendships, coping with stress, and more. To kick off the school year, the entire ninth-grade class will participate in Activity Day, which is led by the Peer Leaders.