As a new student, attending a different school can be overwhelming; the internal battle to fit in may take over students’ minds, leaving them feeling like outcasts.
To help these very normal feelings, Normal West’s counseling department has started a program called Wildcat Host, a student-led initiative meant to help new students get acquainted with the school.
Through this program, new students are connected with student-hosts who assist the new student throughout their school day.
“We put a sign-up sheet out there, a Google form, for any juniors and seniors who would like to volunteer to be a Wildcat Host,” Normal West Counselor, Rachel Tohme, stated.
These hosts are given a special pass to wear on their lanyard, alerting teachers that they are a host. As a host, they are permitted to either leave class early or miss a few minutes of their classes to meet with their student.
A Wildcat Host’s role is to give the new students tours, guide them between classes, and ensure they have company during lunch periods.
“So, we have the Wildcat Host give the students a tour and make sure they know where all of their classrooms are for the day. We (…) give them a check [list] and make sure to tell them where the nurses’ office [is] and [they would] take them to the IMC and help them check out their laptop for the first time,” Tohme explained.
With the support of the Wildcat Hosts, new students can be escorted from each class to help smooth the school day.
After her time at Normal Community High School, Former Counselor Brooke Bollman brought the idea to West’s administration to create the new Wildcat Host program.
The Wildcat Host Program began near the beginning of the first semester and continues to grow, currently with roughly 20-30 volunteers.
Within the counseling department, each counselor is assigned a group of students by last name, depending on the alphabet. Upon the arrival of a new student within their alphabet, counselors now pair students and hosts together, based on the Wildcat Host’s class.
Overall, the program has created a way for students and counselors to work together to make a routine.
“It’s something that basically comes from the whole counseling office. [It] is [working] together in depth (…) to make it keep going,” Tohme stated.
Tohme explained that the program allows new students to feel more welcomed in West’s community, creating a smooth transition into the environment, practically skipping the awkward stage, with the assistance of a Wildcat Host.
Tohme believes that new students can feel most comfortable with an upperclassman host rather than a counselor, as it allows for more connections between students.
“It’s nice to [give] the student the teacher perspective on it or the student perspective on it because before, it would usually just be the counselor giving the tour,” Tohme stated.
The program also allows students (primarily juniors and seniors) to participate in an additional leadership role: “We get more students involved that aren’t involved in other leadership opportunities because it appeals to them to say, I was a new student before. I know [what] that’s like, so those students step up in a different leadership way that maybe they haven’t been a leader before, but because they can kind of relate to that personal experience.”
Freshman Zy’Ionna Jones was a new student at Normal West at the start of the school year. Although she did not necessarily have a host then, she took the opportunity to volunteer as one recently after the program was established.
“I became a Wildcat Host because I feel that every new student should feel welcome and should be shown around by someone who is gentle and caring…and who actually show interest in showing them around the school,” Jones noted.
Overall, the program has created a significant impact in West’s environment.
It reduces students’ stress and gives new students an overall introduction to West’s culture.
“Usually one of the biggest stressors for new students, and the thing that they worry about the most is like how do I work the lunch line? Because it is kind of… intimidating at a new school because they all work kind of differently,” Tohme stated.
Everyone has their comfort zone in school. Whether that’s in the library, lunchroom, gym, or even the classrooms. At Normal West, everyone is welcome to express themselves through different areas. With the assistance of a Wildcat Host, these students can easily figure out where they belong.
The Wildcat Host Program is still very new and hopes to influence more participation in the future and seeks more recognition.
“In future years, we’ll just try to get the word out earlier for sign ups to get more people involved as hosts,” shared Tohme. “We’ll be still seeking out new wild cat hosts every year too.”
If you have participated in the program, they are always looking for feedback in order to continue to grow and improve how it all works.
Also, as a way to celebrate their first year, the counselors hope to have an end-of-year gathering to bring everyone who took part in the Wildcat Host program together.
“Maybe later in the year we could have a little celebration for all of them together with the new students that they worked with in the past,” Tohme stated.
If anyone is currently interested in becoming a Wildcat Host, talk to your counselor for any further questions.
