Stepping onto a high school campus for the first time can be overwhelming, but at Brea Olinda High School, ninth graders have a group of student leaders assigned to ease the transition: Link Crew. And this year, that support has grown significantly with the addition of a second Link Crew class.
Link Crew is a high school transition program that welcomes incoming ninth graders, providing ongoing support during the students’ first year of high school. This year, that ongoing support is provided by 46 Cabinet members (students enrolled in one of the two Link Crew classes) and 42 Ambassadors (students who participate in the club, but are not enrolled in the classes).
“Getting a second class period of Link Crew was not something I was expecting,” Link Crew Advisor Kara Dietz (’93), said. “Having more juniors and seniors with the opportunity to be an active leader on campus will make a difference.”
Dietz credits the growth of the program to the “support from administration,” as well as growing student interest in the leadership class. “[Administration] saw that more students wanted to be involved on campus and make a difference in their school community, so they helped make it happen,” Dietz said.
A school-wide survey administered October 2024 also helped drive support for the program. Principal Joey Davis told the Wildcat that “freshmen [felt] the most connected based on their responses.” That acknowledgement of connectedness prompted administrators to “build onto that” with another section of Link Crew.
Jake Bryant (‘26) said that the program’s “growing visibility” contributed to the expansion of Link Crew. “I feel like Link Leaders from the previous years and the current year are more vocal about what it’s like in the Link program, and that has encouraged more people to apply,” Bryant said.
As the program grows, so do its responsibilities. Link Crew members already participate in projects like Circle of Friends and You Matter Week, and carry out traditional duties like Freshman Welcome Day, the freshman rally, and check-in activities during lunch. This year, the doubling of classes, which allows for more hands-on planning, has enabled Dietz to expand its freshmen and faculty recognition programs, and adopt new campus-wide “initiatives” to its operations.
For instance, Link Crew is expanding its mission to “enriching cultural understanding and appreciation within [the] school community,” according to Dietz. Student leaders will be involved in promoting Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 to Oct. 15), Black History Month (February), Women’s History Month (March), Native American Heritage Month (November), and Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (May).
“I hope the cultural celebrations we set up will bring the whole school together and help us appreciate each other’s backgrounds more,” Link Crew Ambassador Aiden Lim (‘27) said. “I’m excited to get to be a part of something bigger.”
Link Crew Ambassador Gianna Tuso (‘26) decided to join the growing program this year because she was inspired by her own ninth grade experience. “I know what it’s like to be an incoming freshman, not sure what to expect in high school,” Tuso said. “My link leaders really made the transition easier, and I want to be that person for someone else.”
Looking ahead, Dietz hopes an expanded Link Crew will have an even larger impact on the BOHS community.
“Part of my vision is that Link Leaders can look back in a few years and reflect and see that they made a positive impact on their school and that their legacy inspired others,” Dietz said.
