By Camille Yost and Cristobal Segura

Students who have been selected for Link Crew are viewed as people who have potential in becoming an exceptional role model. Although the program is not mandatory, it looks great on college applications and it’s an opportunity that should not be passed down.

Link Crew is a leadership program at Tustin High and is run by Ms. Swanson, Ms. Fay, and Mr. Darius. It encourages both Link Crew Members and the students of Tustin High to be connected to their school. Incoming freshmen will be guided by Link Crew students in finding their place at Tustin High, and they will discover what classes, clubs, or activities they would be interested in taking in order to feel more comfortable at school.

If Link Crew is taken as a class, it’s ran solely by Ms. Fay; however if it’s not taken as a class, it’s run by Fay, Swanson and Darius. The program is incredibly beneficial since students “get to learn how to be effective leaders and to better their campus,” according to Swanson. In addition to becoming strong leaders, Link Crew members have the opportunity to “help freshmen find their place at Tustin.”  Although it’s not requisite, the Link Crew leaders encourage their members to include it in their class schedule. Swanson comments on the benefits of taking Link Crew as a class:

“They would learn how to overcome adversity as well as learning a lot of business skills. It also really depends on the student.” If students have a full schedule, it is understandable as to why a student would be unable to include the class in their schedule.

Tustin High School senior, Amanda Faber was selected to be a Link Crew Member and without hesitation she accepted the invitation. Faber states why she decided to be a Link Crew member:

“When I was freshman and we had Link Crew, I felt like it helped me become more acclimated to the environment of high school. I also accepted because they said it would look good on my college resume and I knew almost every one of the incoming freshmen and I felt like I needed to help them out.”

Not only did Faber accept the invitation to becoming a member, she also decided to include it in her class schedule for her senior year. Faber states, “I’m taking it as a class because I felt like it would be more personal and I would ensure that I’m more involved with Link Crew as a class.”

The Link Crew class will enable members to feel more connected to the program and will give students the opportunity to learn new skills. Link Crew is a wonderful opportunity for students who have been selected and for the incoming freshman. The students of Tustin High will “feel connected to the school” and will have the opportunity to make new relationships and learn valuable skills that are guaranteed to help them  in the future. This program is an opportunity that will lead students on the path to becoming a successful student, exceptional leader, and a role model to the underclassmen of Tustin High.