As young, bright-eyed middle schoolers progress into high school, the transition may scare any student. A new schedule, new classmates and new environment may overwhelm the teenagers while they embark on a journey of growth and change. NC’s magnet students especially endure an entirely new experience as a portion of kids do not live near NC and do not attend class in the same area they did in middle school. To ease this anxiety-inducing change, NC’s International Studies magnet program offers the Ambassador Program for the youngest class of NC.
“The magnet program offers the ambassador program to help freshmen transition from middle school to high school. Especially with many magnet freshmen coming from all over the county, starting at a new school where you don’t know many people is hard enough, so having an upperclassman mentor helps to ease the stress that comes from this transition. This gives freshmen the chance to ask questions about their classes or high school in general to someone who’s already been through it all,” head of the Ambassador Program and magnet senior Isabel O’Connell said.
The Ambassador Program — in which magnet juniors or seniors serve as mentors, guides and friends to their assigned group of freshmen — allows the ninth graders to seek advice from an older student who possesses experience in the high school realm and can teach their mentee how to navigate the ups and downs of NC life. The program also provides the upperclassmen ambassadors with a firsthand leadership opportunity, as they hold the task of helping their assigned student acclimate to high school and answering any questions the freshmen ask about NC, whether about life, school, grades or other concerns.
To promote bonding within the freshmen community and strengthen friendships between the NC’s freshest class and their upperclassmen counterparts, the program hosted a movie night October 18. Hosted in the school’s film room, every magnet Warrior created lasting memories while watching a beloved movie.
“We host the movie every year so that ambassadors and freshmen have a fun activity to do on a Friday night. It’s a great way to meet new people or have fun with friends. Adding outside events really helps make the magnet program feel like a community and helps create meaningful connections between ambassadors and freshmen since they can just have fun together in a setting outside of school,” O’Connell said.
The festivities began immediately following the end of the school day, where ambassadors and freshmen dined on pizza and cupcakes in the auxiliary gym. Freshmen, junior and senior students alike bonded over their classes and the upcoming weekend.
When the time came to transition to the film room, spirits reigned high for the long-awaited cinematic experience. As lights dimmed and students settled in, the wondrous sound of the “Inside Out 2” (2024) introductory theme played over the screen. The fan-favorite movie captivated the students and their friends as the film perfectly encapsulates the feelings and thoughts of high school students today. Laughs and cringes resounded through the audience, proving the night an undeniable success.
At the end of the night, as students grabbed their bags and said their goodbyes for the weekend, the ambassadors achieved another exciting experience of bonding with their freshmen. As the ninth graders progress through the year, their movie night experience with the ambassadors will provide a lasting experience of fun and friendship.
