Upperclassmen Offer Freshmen Advice & Support Throughout the School Year 

 Will Ferraro-Reich ’26

At Chaminade High School, the Senior Leaders Club has a significant influence on the freshman class. The group is made up of upperclassmen who volunteer their time to guide Chaminade’s newest students through 3-C Week, preparing them for their upcoming four years at the school.

3-C week is the initial introduction to Chaminade life. During this week, many students’ first impression of Chaminade is greatly impacted by the older students they see. Sports competitions at the Activity Athletic Center, tours of campus, and getting to know one’s classmates and teachers are among the activities that take place uring this week.

“My favorite memory of 3-C week,” Nicholas Fochetta ’26 stated, “is when we played dodgeball in the AAC and our senior leader Anthony Bellone joined our team and helped us win the game.” 

Bellone ’23 is currently a senior leader for Homeroom 1E, and he remembers his own senior leaders when he was a freshman. “Everything from the stories they would tell me to the classes they would recommend are what helped me get used to life at Chaminade,” reflected Bellone. 

Senior leaders do more than just help out at 3-C Week, though. Throughout the school year, they are also present in freshman homerooms during most mornings. They forge relationships with the freshmen and serve as friendly faces for Flyers who are still adjusting to the Chaminade lifestyle. Having been at the school for three years already, they know the “ins and outs” of Chaminade and can provide advice that teachers sometimes cannot. When it comes to picking classes, having questions about a club or activity, or just having trouble adjusting to a new school, freshmen always have a senior there to help. 

“The Senior Leaders contributed to my experience by helping me find my classes, deal with technology problems, navigate Canvas, and much more,” Fochetta continued. “I want to become a Senior Leader in the future so I can impact the students’ time at Chaminade, just like they impacted mine.”

Becoming a Senior Leader has made the Chaminade experience come full-circle for Bellone. “I hope that Senior Leaders give freshmen a point of contact and experience,” he stated. “It gives me a sense of completion to know that I am helping the freshmen in my homeroom. To have experienced both sides of Senior Leaders also gives me the opportunity to relay the advice that my leaders gave me.”