By JOAN HANSEN Dana Point News

LINK CREW: Dana Hills High School’s Link Crew recruits for next year are from left: Ryan Luzum, Janelle Silva, Erin Akerson, Catherine Nimmo, Mike Madrid and below, Raymond Constantino.

Starting high school can be scary.

At Dana Hills High in- coming freshman are linked with sophomore junior and senior volunteers who desire to ease their younger classmates’ transition from middle school to high school.

Link Crew is attracting volunteers who remember the gaping hole newcomers feel upon entering the alien environment.

Marissa Amadi 15, a sophomore next year, remembers her first few days at Dana Hills.

"I was clueless about what to do at registration and orientation," She said. "When my mentor called, I was relieved to talk to someone.

The hardest part of being a Link Crew Member, she added, is when someone is not interested in any help and they give a new student a hard time.

"But I know they do need some help," she said. "Being a member of Link Crew, I have learned how to be a friend. The best part is just helping others."

The year 2000s Link Crew met for the first time last week. Volunteers signed up and listened to advisor, Margie Page a 26-year

veteran teacher, instruct them on their commitment and responsibilities.

The goal of Link Crew is to match upper classmen with freshman.

Every link member may have as many as 20 freshman they are required to make contact with, Page said.

Currently 65 students are Link Crew members and typically join because they received a positive experience with their Link Crew mentors or they have a younger sibling coming up the ranks and want to help them.

Assistant principal Adam Ochwat sees Link Crew as a way of welcoming new Dolphins into the family.

"Since we have such a large campus of students, having some- one to talk to regarding school policies is crucial," Ochwat said.

Students are interviewed by teachers and required to attend an orientation. Any student may join who is interested in helping others, '

"I believe the freshman will get a feeling of connectedness to Dana Hills High School even before they begin classes," Page said. "It is a neat step for kids to help other kids. With class size getting larger every year it can be overwhelming for one of 700 freshman to feel like they be- long."

As in any school, Page said, there are some troubled kids out there. Some say they don't need help, some appreciate the con- tact, she said. If there is a problem then Link members pass it on to a teacher or counselor.

The hard part is getting all the kids contacted. Only 50 percent come through orientation. So some never make a connection.

Another Link Crew veteran Meg Nimmo, 16, sophomore, said she was glad to be mentored as a freshman.

"I thought it must be a good school if they cared enough to think of us," she said. "I felt looked after."

"The hardest part," Meg.said, "is giving up your time."

"But even that is not hard be- cause I feel I'm doing something for someone else," she said. "Last year, I was given a list names of freshman. I called them before registration and told them how to register and then I met them at orientation, if they we-re there.

"Then I called again at Christmas and asked them how they were doing. Most gave me a positive response. Some said that they don't need it. Most said they were glad I called. I wanted to give back what was given to me," she said.