Why do my friends think it is cool to do drugs? Did I do something wrong that makes my mom and dad fight all the time? Can I keep my grades up once I get to high school? Why is my boyfriend pressuring me to do things I don’t want to?These are a few of the many questions eighth-grade girls at Springville Middle School could have asked at last week’s Girl-to-Girl program, sponsored by the Family Career Community Leaders of America.
Ashley Grainger, the Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher at Springville High School, started the mentoring program a couple of months ago. It is based off a television show Grainger saw called ‘Middle School Confessions.’
Grainger selected six high school senior girls from SHS to be the mentors. They are Erica Gholson, Brittany Roach, Lauren Beason, Sydney Leopard, Holly Glenn and Kaitlyn Tribble.
“We want to help our eighth-grade girls learn how to make wise decisions concerning their lives,” Grainger said. “Topics discussed include drugs, alcohol, sex and peer pressure. These girls may also have anxiety about going to high school. We want these girls to feel comfortable talking about any situation they may be going through in day-to-day life.”
Grainger said some of the teenage girls might not feel comfortable talking about some of these topics with adults.
“They may open up more by talking to this select group of senior girls,” Grainger said. “These high school girls could in turn give them their point of view. I believe they would listen to these girls better than they would an adult.”
Grainger said all six senior girls are ecstatic and so excited.
“They love coming to talk to these girls,” Grainger said. “The younger girls seem to be absorbing everything. They appreciate the opportunity to be a positive role model to these young girls.”
Grainger said there would be another session in May and then a party will be held at the end of the school year.
“Our goal next year is to meet at least six times during the school year,” she said.
SHS counselor Donna Robertson said this is a tremendous program and after talking to Grainger and SMS counselor Lisa Rayburn, determined there was a need for the program.
“The thing is, if we can get these girls in an open dialogue about the things they are going through, it helps them to know there is somebody out there who has already been through it,” Robertson said. “That’s why we chose senior girls. They have been through the transition of going to high school and the transition of dating inappropriately. They have been there and experienced that.”
Robertson said this has been a very positive move in the right direction.
“We tried to select high school girls with different interests,” Robertson added. “Some are heavily involved is sports, some are involved heavily in the academic aspect, while some are involved in clubs and organizations. This gives the younger girls an opportunity to see girls from different areas of the high school. This also gives these eighth-graders a chance to discuss self-esteem.”
