During a year in which so many clubs and student programs have not been able to meet as usual, the peer mentoring program is still going strong.

Theology teacher Ms. Katie Klee, co-leader of the peer mentoring program, said that the the faculty coordinators have had to “adjust to one of the strangest years we’ve experienced at Cathedral,” she said.

At the very beginning of the school year, senior peer mentors and their freshman mentees had more restrictions on what they were allowed to do. Klee said that activities such as going outside or bringing in food were not permitted at first. She said that this seemed a bit disappointing for some seniors “who remembered and loved being able to do that as freshmen,” as she put it.

Now, peer mentors have a bit more freedom as they are allowed to go outside as long as they take pictures of where everyone is sitting for contract tracing and can bring in individually wrapped snacks.

Due to Covid-19, the new school year has brought protocol changes all of which are new to students. Klee said that peer mentors have been able to become “a first point of contact for all questions that freshmen have about new procedures, even though the protocol is new for everyone.”

Klee commended the seniors’ ability to adjust to the new protocols and to help guide their freshman mentees. She said, “We are so grateful for the work of our peer mentors and their leadership.”

Senior peer mentors have been affected by the pandemic since last semester, when school, including their peer mentoring class, went online. Despite this sudden change in the class structure, the peer mentors were still able to accomplish much. Klee said, “Last semester was still a meaningful experience that allowed for a lot of social and emotional training for our peer mentors.”

Despite some changes in the way the program has has to operate, Klee said, “(There is) nothing crucial that we have been able to do in past years that was lost for this year.”

The peer mentoring program has worked to overcome the challenges as a result of Covid-19. Klee said that this semester so far has overall allowed for what she called “positive relationship building between our senior peer mentors and freshmen.”