The Lincoln Log

Jump Start is a program focusing on the incoming freshmen students of Abraham Lincoln High School. Before the school year, freshmen attend an orientation hoping to make Lincoln less intimidating and more welcoming. Students were then divided into different groups led by our very own upperclassmen.

“The first thing it does is give new students exposure to students that are successful here, to see what it’ll look like to be a junior or senior on the path to college, [on the way to] achieving their goals,” Jumpstart Coordinator and Peer Resources Teacher Christopher Pepper said.

Groups allowed freshmen to have an idea of the image of a prosperous student, to look up to them and decide for themselves what is essential to be in that place after couple years. But does that mean students who didn’t attend, have a less advantage than the incoming students that did?

“We had a good turn out, but you’ll always miss some students. Families take vacations during the summer, some work, and people take care of other siblings. [But] for whatever reason, they couldn’t come in during the summer,” Pepper said.

One goal of Jump Start was to provide freshmen with knowledge of the school, so they may get to each and every class without problem. But several freshmen claim that though they didn’t attend jumpstart, they had no problem finding their classes.

“[I didn’t get lost] because I went with all my friends that are sophomores and they showed me around,” Mak said.

Although some incoming students may not know upper class students and could neither ask for advice nor direct, Jumpstart leaders act as potential brothers and sisters that guide freshmen through the school year.

“If they attended Jumpstart then they would know people in their freshmen class plus upper classmen and get familiar with the campus. So when they actually started school, they knew people and felt comfortable here since they knew what to expect,” Jumpstart Coordinator Dana Martinezmoles said.

In a whole new school, with different types of people and a totally dissimilar atmosphere, a program like Jumpstart may warm your heart. It gives off the impression that Lincoln is a comfortable, friendly, cozy and secure environment, which Lincoln is. But high school can be frightening for incoming students, since they went from the top of the middle food chain to the bottom of the high school chain. It is hard to adjust and it may seem a little provoking with everyone a feet taller than you. Along with that, there is freshmen’ Friday and there might be more hostile people than your average middle school.

“[Though I attended Jump Start] I still heard a lot of things, but the [upper classmen] never really did anything. I heard that if you got in their face, they’ll push you down, so I was kind of scared,” freshman Hurbert Leung said.

The program also became a benefit to those who volunteer since they gained team work and leadership skills. It may of also gave them a couple of new friends and the freshmen a new older role model. Though it is only the first year that Jump Start has kicked off, it already seems as an important and worthy program to have. It has all the right ideas and goals that may be very helpful to incoming students. Jump Start introduces Lincoln to them, which proves to be valuable guidance. Though it seems as the beginning of the year for freshmen will always be a little confused and unease.

“It’s a nice program. It can help you solve your problems. [I wish I did go] because I would have known more about the school, but I don’t think it makes a difference,” Mak said.

It seems like it depends on the individual itself. Jump Start may not be helpful to some freshmen, but others it may just that trigger that gets them going through high school. As Jump Start’s first year at Lincoln, it is sure that you will see much more of this program as it continues to improve to become an even better and beneficial program.

“As our first year, it exceeded our expectations and I was really happy about it and I hope every year, it’ll break our expectations and that we’ll get more out of this program every year,” Martinezmoles said.