Article written by: Bridget Halls, Olympus High School

In its second year at Taylorsville High School, the Welcome Warrior (WW) Program is recognized as one of the most successful programs that the school has implemented so far in terms of making new students feel comfortable and welcome. 

Before the WW program was put into action at Taylorsville High, staff members had been scrambling to find a way to make new students, especially ones who don’t speak English, or are learning English as a second language, feel more comfortable in the school and adjust in a timely and safe manner. Mrs. Jentzch then proposed introducing the Welcome Warriors program at Taylorsville High to help not only English learner students but all new students who need support in adjusting into the new environment, similar to how the Eisenhower Jr. High and Olympus Jr. High Pals have. Mrs. Jentzch, as the advisor and initiator of the program, has been a counselor at Taylorsville High School for four years. She previously interned at Hunter Junior High, before working as a counselor at Hunter Sr. High, and at Granite Education Foundation, and thanks to her incredible work and character, made a safe environment and start for every new student at Taylorsville. 

Almost none of the students who were assigned a WW that helped them adjust into this new environment said that it was something they regretted or didn’t like doing; most are relieved upon hearing of the program and what it provides for them when being introduced into the school. This program mainly started because counselors and staff at Taylorsville realized that kids were going to school knowing nobody and were feeling lost in transition; they thought about how nice it would be if new students had at least one friendly person they met right away-a familiar face that would help them adjust to the new environment.

While Mrs. Jentzch does amazing work with the Welcome Warriors, some Taylorsville secretaries, like Mrs. Briggs and Mrs. O’Brein, are recognised for some of the success of the program as the WW “matchmakers”; without them, it would be very difficult for any student to feel welcomed into the school. They know all the Welcome Warriors and assign new students a WW on a one to one basis based on their interests or personalities, even going as far as seeing a keychain and matching interests, or going off of first impressions of their characters. 

In 2023, 36 students volunteered to be a Welcome Warrior, filling out an application to submit their grades and attendance for review, along with a teacher referral, and with an 11% increase in 2024, 40 students are involved in the WW program today. The Welcome Warriors in total speak 6 different languages to help a variety of students who come to Taylorsville so that even if a new student doesn’t speak English, at least they are partnered with someone who speaks their first language. All WWs need to be able to manage missing the beginning and end of their classes, and need to be able to balance the work that comes with it, while also creating a welcoming environment for the new student they are helping.

The WWs undergo training on communication skills such as small talk, first impressions, and unbiased impressions and views to make sure that they are as welcoming as can be. To make an even more seamless transition, counselors also try to match lunch schedules so that the students can be helped when they need it, or even just so that they have a friend to sit by. For at least the first two days a new student is at Taylorsville, one A-day and one B-day, a WW is assigned to help them get their schedule, bus pass, student ID, and chromebook; find all their classes, and is there to walk them from one class to the next. Most Warriors also share their cell phone numbers so that new students can start their year with at least one contact. Some of these student pairs have been so successful, they’ve bloomed into a friendship, or opportunity to do such.

Overall, this program has helped so many new students adjust to their new school environments at Taylorsville High and has allowed for every student to build connections and fit into the student community. These WWs have made a huge impact in the culture of the school because of the immediate and familiar base that it provides to new students that can help them further connect and integrate into the student population, all thanks to Mrs. Jentzch and her Welcome Warriors!