Freshman first day at Shawnee Mission South marked the new ninth graders’ induction into the Raider family.  Teachers, students and staff were present all day to help welcome the new students to the halls of South.

“My freshman year, my mentor really helped set me on the right path from day 1 to knowing my way around school,” senior and freshman mentor Olivia Feathers said.

Students Mentoring Students, the freshman mentoring program, is made up of 83 returning students who volunteer to spend the day aiding freshmen in finding classrooms, answering questions and giving advice on how to be a successful high schooler.

“We help them find their way around school and make the transition from middle school as easy as possible,” senior and freshman mentor Jenna Foiles said.

The goal of the upperclassmen is to be a guide to the ninth graders and so they can see a friendly face in the hallway during the scary first few weeks of high school.

“My freshman year, I was really nervous,” student body president Kelly O’Connor said. “And my mentor helped ease my nerves and make high school not so scary.”