Alya Mehrtash staff writer
Walking into NormanAid, you are bound to see familiar faces of the peer counselors. Peer counselors are student aides who work at the NormanAid center.
You can find the peer counselors delivering summons to students and helping organize MonthlyAid events. Each month has its own mental health related theme at NormanAid, and MonthlyAid events are geared towards addressing the month’s respective topic.
One of the main responsibilities of a peer counselor is to help organize MonthlyAid activities. Junior peer counselor Sophia Mantville feels that the whole school community can benefit from the these activities.
“All the MonthlyAid activities bring some fun and a sense of community to the school,” she said. “They get the whole school involved. For example, when we made tie-dye shirts, it was a fun activity that everyone could participate in.”
But working at the NormanAid center comes with more than just deliveries and event planning.
“I gained a lot of good counseling advice from the counselors, as well as new techniques on how to deal with my own problems and my friends’ [problems], as well,” senior peer counselor Julia Yaris said.
The peer counselors are also given an opportunity to spread mental health awareness at school.
“I have been able to promote awareness for mental health and I have gained the ability to help others, especially through our MonthlyAid discussions at lunch,” Mantville said.
Senior peer counselor Megan Halavi has found personal fulfillment through her involvement in NormanAid and its safe environment.
“As a Peer Counselor, I feel great knowing that students are able to reach out to a safe space to discuss anything they’d like,” Halavi said. “Also being able to find resources for the center and be a part of reaching out to students is really rewarding because you can see the impact you’re having.”
Yaris reflected the same feelings, claiming that because of her job as a peer counselor, she feels satisfaction in knowing she contributes to this “amazing resource that should be utilized by students who need it.”
“Being a part of NormanAid has been really fulfilling for me,” Yaris said. “I feel great knowing that I’m able to contribute in any way to such a wonderful resource we have on campus. It’s very rare that a high school campus has a counseling center as effective and helpful as our center.”
If you wish to apply to be a NormanAid peer counselor in the 2019-2020 school year, click here. Applications are due to Mrs. Norman-Franks in room V33 by May 3.