Junior Madisen Lo has dedicated countless hours of her time to creating the peer mentoring program from the ground up.

Can you explain the program briefly?

The RAHS Peer Helpers Program is a student-led program where students with various life experiences and backgrounds are trained to listen and help their fellow peers work through their personal issues. The Peer Helpers Program provides students with a confidential space to be heard and strives to create a safe environment where students feel emotionally supported.

What inspired you to start the program, and how long have you been working on it?

I came up with the idea for this program during my Sophomore year, probably around March or April 2023. I was inspired to start this program for a variety of reasons. One, I’ve always been interested in psychology and the mental health field, especially adolescent mental health. Two, my brother had a Peer Helpers program at his high school, and I thought that RAHS should have one, too. Finally, there have been multiple incidents, such as the suicide of Reyna Wilson and the three gun scares at our school, and I couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if someone had just been there to listen to those kids before things went south. I think it is important for students to feel comfortable talking about their issues without fear since it can sometimes be intimidating talking to adults. I first pitched this program to my counselor, Ms. Levine, who has supported me since the beginning. From July to August, I worked on building the program and even reached out to people from other schools who have their own Peer Helpers programs.

What do you do for the program, and how much time have you spent/will you spend on it?

I’m pretty much the founder of this program. Since the summer and still, to this day, I’ve come up with almost all of the logistics for the program and have spent numerous hours creating the handbook, making Instagram posts, researching other Peer Helper programs, and meeting with staff like Mr. T and Ms. Levine, who have helped contribute their guidance. It takes a lot to start a program from the ground up, so I have spent a lot of time outside of school and even on weekends building this program. I plan to do more work until it operates efficiently.

What are your hopes for the future of the program?

I hope that this program will remove the stigma around mental health, and I hope it will bring the student body together. I want students to know that if they want to talk about their issues, there are peers who are willing to listen and support them. I hope students will take advantage of this program and receive the help they need. I would love to see this program thrive even after I graduate from RAHS.

What other things do you do in our school/community?

Besides creating the RAHS Peer Helpers Program, I’m heavily involved in the Student Council, where I currently serve as the Junior Class Representative. I help plan school events like Charity Week and Hoco Week. I enjoy planning and organizing events because it makes me feel like I’m part of something bigger than myself. I am also in the NHS and Key Club, where I do a lot of outside volunteer work. I currently volunteer at Theresa Living Center, a transitional living center for houseless women. I also volunteer every Saturday morning at the Rice Street Library, where I tutor elementary school kids and help them with their reading skills. Finally, I am a part of the Young Women’s Initiative Cabinet, which is a program created by the Governor’s Cabinet. In the cabinet, we discuss ways we want to help MN become more equitable and inclusive for LGBTQIA+ people, women, and POC. We work on creating policies that we want to see implemented in MN.