PORTSMOUTH, Va. —Students at Norcom High School are paying it forward to the next generation. A new pen pal program allows them to take lessons they've learned in life and help local elementary students with social skills.
D'jahnae Sifford, an 11th grader, said the program serves a different purpose for her. She said she didn't have a mentor when she was older, so she makes it a priority to be there for her two pen pals at Lakeview Elementary School.
"Not only is it helping them, but it's also helping me with my future, so when they grow up, they can look back and say 'oh, well when I was in kindergarten, she helped me with this that, and the third'," said Sifford.
Together they work on reading, writing, and verbal communication skills.
"I would help them with words like their sight words and things of that nature. We really didn't get to read books, but when we were at lunch, we got to have conversations with them to see how they communicated," she said.
Students visit Lakeview twice a month, but the letters they write keep them close.
Michelle Efatt, a counselor at Norcom High School, said the sacrifice the high school students make to show up is unbelievable.
"When you think about teenagers in this day and age, not everything you think is positive. I think that I am blessed I work for a group of kids that are so amazing these kids give their own time on the weekend," said Efatt.
The students even step in when the kindergarten teachers are not present.
"They were so very excited to see our students show up because they are an extension of the teacher," said Efatt
The students check up on their mentees and build strong connections with their parents.
"If they need something from them, emotional support, whatever they need, they're able to give," she said.
Sifford said she's proud of herself for giving back, but she couldn't have done it without Ms. Efatt's support inside and outside of the classroom.
"When we didn't have a bus, she drove us to the school there and back," Sifford said. "I needed a tutor she made sure she got that to me."
The counselor at Norcom said the students continue to stay connected with their pen pals when the program is over.
