Van Kamenstein ’25, Pearl Gatins ’25, and Assistant Opinion Editors Eden Conner ’25 and Hana Mehdi Williams ’25 were chosen to serve as Peer Support coordinators for the 2024-2025 school year, according to an email from Head of Peer Support Tina McGraw ’01 on April 18. Each Peer Support trainee who applied for the position gave a speech to the full group of trainees on April 15, and four students were selected out of the 16 candidates.
This year, the program implemented a new selection process for the election of coordinators, in which two were elected by popular vote and two were chosen by faculty advisers McGraw and Peer Support Faculty Adviser and Upper School Counselor Brittany Bronson, according to Conner.
Gatins said she applied to be a coordinator because of how much the program has taught her.
“I decided to apply for leadership because of how much I love Peer Support,” Gatins said. “I am so honored to be a part of this program and I would say nothing has helped me be a better leader than having such amazing people around me. I have learned so much about community building and just life in general. Listening to, understanding and observing the school community has given me so much hope and positivity.”
Bronson said that she was searching for someone with specific qualities when helping select next year’s coordinators.
“Some of the things we were looking for were empathy, what kind of leadership opportunities you [have] had, why you [joined] Peer Support, and why you want to be a trainee or leader,” Bronson said. [Being a coordinator] is not for everyone, and it can take a toll [on a student] to hear people’s problems and challenges.”
Bronson said that Peer Support is a way for students to build a support system and learn to care for their peers.
“Peer Support is a great way for students to connect with other students from different grades that they haven’t seen before,” Bronson said. “It’s a really good way to connect with other people, and also to build empathy. It’s a really important skill [for] students to care about one another and support one another.”
Gatins said that she hopes that Peer Support will continue to be a large part of student life at the Upper School.
“I hope Peer Support will continue to uplift and connect our community,” Gatins said. “This program is so unique and I hope that it is as cherished and celebrated as it has in the years past. Coming to the Upper School I was very insecure and intimidated by everyone around me. Yet, Peer Support serves as a light to celebrate each other in a place that is positive and inclusive. Overall, I just hope that the legacy of this program will continue to be a highlight in students’ memories of high school.”
Emma Lutsky ’26 said that the program’s coordinators play an important role in resolving issues within the club.
“[The coordinators] are always trying to make sure everybody feels included and safe,” Lutsky said. “[I had] an issue once so I reached out to a coordinator, and she completely fixed it and was so empathetic.”
