These Two Sure Like Link Crew

When students arrive at San Marino High School on Tuesday, 273 of them will be doing so for the first time, at least officially. They are freshmen.
They are the Class of 2021, believe it or not, and while some might have older siblings or other occasion to visit the high school campus, you can bet there will be a lot of nervous stomachs among those who are taking their place at the bottom of the four-tier totem pole.
Well have no fear, Link Crew is here. In its third year at San Marino High School and in its second incarnation (Link Crew had a brief run at SMHS in the early 2000s), Link Crew is a nationally recognized, student-led leadership program which helps freshman ease into high school by providing a warm welcome.
Through the Link Crew program, freshmen are paired with junior and senior leaders who have been carefully selected to serve as positive role models, emphasizing strong relationships through activities that promote connection. Link Crew is built on the belief that students can help students succeed.
While a new student couldn’t really go wrong in the Link Crew lottery, they’ve certainly hit the jackpot if they are placed under the care of seniors Libby Chang and Erik Olson, each of whom are in their second year with the group.
“Leadership is a big passion of mine,” said Libby, who is a four-year starter and 2017 captain of the Lady Titan varsity tennis team. “I love working with younger students by creating genuine friendships to establish a foundation of empathy and trust. As a result, I’m able to better help students lead positive, upstanding lives by providing them my few nuggets of wisdom and experience. Plus, I lead middle schoolers at my own church, so I felt that Link Crew was a perfect outlet to extend my love for leadership.”
One of Link Crew’s chief accomplishments is that it “builds trust,” according to Libby.
“It allows incoming students to know they already have someone on campus that has their back and is rooting for their success,” she continued. “It is an effective integration strategy that not only allows new students to feel safer in high school, but it allows the upperclassmen Link leaders to meet new people, create friendships, and live upstanding lives to positively influence their group members. It is an extremely powerful thing for both the Link leader and the new student, especially in such a clique-prone place like high school.”
Libby, who is also a member of the Chamber Choir, said she received a great deal of gratification watching the freshmen leave the nest, so to speak.
“Although the fruits of our labor were not evidently seen, we saw our Link students venture out into their own personal passions and talents,” she explained. “We watched them make their mark at SMHS, and that, to me, is the most rewarding success story.”
Libby is the daughter of Jennifer and James Chang and hopes to play tennis and study physical therapy and business when she gets to college.
“Libby’s energy and enthusiasm are contagious,” said Laura Ives, support services counselor at San Marino High School and one of the Link Crew advisors. “She readily takes on any challenges and puts her whole heart into whatever she does. She is sincere and knows how to make those around her feel comfortable. We are so fortunate to have Libby as a returning Link Crew Leader this year.”
One of the true stars of the San Marino High School drama department, Erik Olson was asked by advisor Laura Ives to join Link Crew a year ago.
“I had heard about the group before then, but I didn’t really know what it entailed, or even if I had the time,” Erik told The Tribune. “After meeting with Ms. Ives, I decided to apply and I, thankfully, was accepted. Sadly, Link Crew was not around when I was a freshman, so I did not have the experience that the current ninth graders now receive.”
The son of Renee and Todd Olson said the main role of Link Crew at “is to make the freshmen feel more comfortable in their transition to high school, and to meet some awesome and driven upperclassmen who can be advocates for them if they ever need help,” he said. “My favorite Link Crew activity is probably when the freshmen first come into the gym for orientation because there’s a look of fear and confusion on their face that just cannot be duplicated. After a while, they start to warm up to the orientation and begin to laugh at our jokes and dance with the music.”
Erick is looking at Yale and Columbia, where he would like to study neuroscience and dance and one day hopes to be a dermatologist.
“Something that I learned from Link Crew is that simple greetings can mean a lot to someone and can make them feel immeasurably more included,” he added.
“I first met Erik during his sophomore year when he was nominated and subsequently selected as a finalist to attend the highly selective Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership program,” said Ives. “His positive attitude and capacity for empathy clearly demonstrated his leadership potential. Now in his second year as a Link Crew leader, he has remained a supportive force on our campus.”
Link Crew isn’t a “one-and-done” program. Various events take place throughout the year to help provide social activities to build positive connections. And it has also received positive reviews.
“I think Link Crew is a wonderful program,” said longtime Counselor Mollie Beckler. “It allows our incoming 9th graders to see the upperclass students as friendly faces. At the same time, it shows our student leaders what a positive impact they can be, which helps them build confidence as they prepare to transition to college.”
Beckler also praised Ives and her leadership group.
“They have done a phenomenal job,” Beckler continued. “They train the students well and then they step aside and allow them to lead. It works well.”
And you need not look far for status reports as The Tribune will monitor Link Crew’s progress throughout the school year.