By Claire Davidson ‘21
A young person, feeling lonely and small in this world is watching and waiting for some type of help, encouragement or kind words. An upperclassmen student is walking down the hall, sees the lonely student and helps them.
Encouragement and motivation are two incredibly impactful ways that a human can empower someone else.
How have you seen empowerment throughout your school? There are an infinite amount of ways that you could give kind words to encourage. The role models throughout your lifetime have given you some kind of advice or guidance. According to Marilyn Price Mitchell PhD,
“A substantial number of studies have shown us that humans learn through modeling others. As these experiences accumulate through adolescence, teens decide what socially acceptable behavior is and what is not. They also learn strategies for achieving their goals.”
For example, if a freshman student has a older brother or sister that is an upperclassmen they will most likely ask them questions about the school and model their behavior. Some ways that they would model this behavior would be ‘What time they get to school’ and ‘What the uniform standards are.’ Even if that upperclassmen is not a sibling of theirs, this kind of guidance can be very helpful in these type of situations. In the article entitled “How Role Models Can Influence Lives” they explain how a role model can become more of an obsession rather than a goal.
“The problem then though comes when you become so obsessed with that role model that you end up losing your own sense of self and your own identity. You don’t want to be the new David Beckham, you want to be the first you.”
This usually won’t become an issue in a high school, but in larger communities this is a good thing to be aware of. Advice in academic life can be very powerful and can be found in varied settings around campus or even off campus. According to Wisdom from the Indiana University Emissaries for Graduate Student Diversity on the Bloomington campus,
“Good advice is important; especially in your academic life… Advice may come from your peers, professors, friends, acquaintances, or a random person you meet in the library…”
So, keep a look out around your school for advice and guidance!
More specifically, the Regis Jesuit community is full of kind words and advice to younger classmen who are coming in- some knowing nothing. Frida Hill, a Junior link leader for the ambassador program says,
“I feel like I have just been that person that hopefully they feel they can come to when they have questions on school.”
A new teacher, Garrett Loehr, has seen various types of encouragement including a certain sport in the boys division.
“In the boys division I coach Varsity Soccer, and the guys on the soccer team are always very supportive and caring and they treat the freshman you know like teammates and brothers, there is no belittlement to the freshman.”
Another link leader for the ambassador program and a Junior here at Regis Jesuit, Gigi Pacheco, sees the importance of feeling accepted in a large community.
“I hope that, through being a link leader, and tutoring some freshman as well I have made them feel more comfortable here and that they are part of a larger community of sisters and brothers that really love them and value them for who they are.”
We all can help our fellow sisters and brothers as they enter into the Regis Jesuit community. After all, that’s what we are called to do through service and loving acts of kindness as being part of a Jesuit community.
“Freshmen year is uncomfortable for everyone, and sometimes it’s just knowing that there is someone there that truly cares for you and that really can help so much,” says sophomore Beth Anne Richardson. “I really hope I have made a positive impact on the new freshmen, and I hope I can continue to do that throughout my years.”