Making friends and making a difference.
That’s the goal of North East ISD’s Peer Assistance Leadership and Service (PALS) program.
Every high school in NEISD has a PALS program, giving students the chance to help and mentor other students.
Roosevelt High School Senior Leo Aguilar has been involved in PALS for several years.
“In elementary school at Walzem, I had a Roosevelt PAL named Weston,” said Aguilar. “Weston taught me that academics are always important. He was always talking about scholarships and I have always carried that with me.”
In eighth grade, Aguilar remembers working with students with special needs. Now as a senior, he is making sure to leave a lasting impact on the next generation of Rough Riders.
Aguilar and dozens of students from each NEISD high school got together in July for team building and training. During the two-day event teams made ropes to better understand how strong people can be if they work together. They learned about mental health and how to help others. It’s information that will not only help them, but everyone they meet and mentor.
“We bond as a class and a District,” said Aguilar. “It really helps out the community. It builds stronger better foundations and futures for the students. Mentoring elementary kids is so much fun. They make me laugh and I enjoy impacting them.”
To learn more about PALS, click here.
