Selma High School's Link Crew helping students creating connections

SELMA, Calif. (KFSN) -- The archetypal time of schoolhouse tin beryllium exciting, but it tin besides beryllium intimidating.

"I was truly tense due to the fact that I didn't get to look astir the field oregon anything," said Marv Lopez Medina, a elder astatine Selma High School. "I was a small spot mislaid and also, I didn't cognize anyone."

That's however it felt for Senior Marv Lopez Medina, who transferred to Selma High School past year.

The archetypal week of schoolhouse felt lonely for her, coming into a caller schoolhouse and with caller faces.

Cesar Gonzalez, a Mental Health Clinician connected campus, says it's a communal feeling that galore students spell through.

"Sometimes, they don't person friends," said Gonzalez. "They conflict with gathering those connections. They conflict with putting themselves retired there."

Now successful her last year, Marv is thriving. She's joined clubs similar theatre and Link Crew.

"I heard astir it successful my Spanish people past twelvemonth and my teacher had concisely described it," said Marv. "It sounded similar thing I wanted to bash my elder year."

Started successful 2013, Link Crew is astir students helping students. Upperclassmen instrumentality connected a mentorship relation with freshmen and sometimes adjacent sophomores arsenic they marque a modulation into a caller environment.

"We spouse betwixt 10 to 12 freshmen with 1 oregon 2 juniors oregon seniors," said Mayra Quintanilla, the Link Crew Head Coordinator. "They go a squad passim the full year. They usually go friends."

Link Leaders deterioration bluish shirts truthful caller students tin easy find them.

"Our Link Leaders spell done a precise aggravated grooming passim the summer," said Quintanilla. "We instrumentality 1 to 2 days passim the summertime to springiness them those skills to go a relation model."

For Marv, knowing however a caller schoolhouse tin beryllium scary and lonely, inspired her to enactment connected the bluish shirt.

"I thought that would beryllium a bully accidental to bash something," said Marv. "I've been successful the shoes of not knowing anything."

There are besides different resources astatine Selma High to assistance students who are dealing with isolation.

Students tin scan a QR codification if they request intelligence wellness help. They tin besides sojourn the field therapy dogs, similar Scout.

"She volition greet everyone arsenic they travel successful done the library," said Gonzalez. "This is her hub. This is her place."

For caller students coming to Selma High successful the fall, schoolhouse leaders are acceptable to invited you and beryllium that unfastened link.

For quality updates, travel Ana Torrea connected Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

This communicative is portion of the "Our America: Mental State - The Loneliness Epidemic" series. The collaboration betwixt ABC News and the ABC Owned Television Stations aims to stock reporting connected however to physique societal connections, with absorption connected stories astir kids, caregivers, the workplace, the election, the holidays, and anyone looking to larn however to instrumentality attraction of themselves and others.

Click here for each the stories and videos successful our series, "Our America: Mental State - The Loneliness Epidemic.