As freshmen and foreign exchange students start high school, they may have a hard time getting acquainted. In order to reduce the vulnerability of those new students, three juniors are starting the Link Crew program at the beginning of the next school year to help those students transition into high school.
Daniel Pearl Magnet High School juniors Diana Ramirez, Monica Robles and Khajika Soyoltuga, who came up with the Link Crew after recently being named  CATALYST Ambassadors representing all of the Los Angeles Unified School District region. The ambassadors are given the opportunity to have an influence on other students through service learning projects.
According to DPMHS Magnet Coordinator Laverne Potter, a CATALYST ambassador should be a natural born leader who partakes in service learning projects throughout their respective regions.
California Taking Action for Learning through Youth Service Teams (CATALYST) is a fairly new project run by the Division of Service Learning and the California Department of Education and funded by the government.
The CATALYST youth ambassadors program focuses on promoting and enhancing leadership among high school students. There are no additional requirements for this position other than the application process. This application process consists of an essay discussing any knowledge one has about service learning and one’s involvement in a service-learning project. A face-to-face interview is also required.  Although this is a nationwide program, a lot of what goes on in this program is not known to many due to lack of publicity.
“I like that it is so exclusive and you can meets kids from all around California,” Soyoltuga said.
Each region, made up of cities or school districts, has two to three students that represent their district and are known as ambassadors.
The DPMHS Ambassadors have chosen to focus on freshmen and foreign exchange students because they regard them as one of the most vulnerable groups on their campus. According to Soyoltuga, they need role models to guide them into the right direction.
They will introduce incoming ninth graders to the school and give them a chance to meet other students before school starts. Throughout the year, the ambassadors will also help them with personal and academic issues.
Each school will have a similar program to this but customized with some of their own plans.
Potter was a lead for four years and actually helped establish the ambassadors program. Potter has been indirectly involved in the program since 2005.
“I love being inspired by the youth,” Potter said. “I am excited about the potential for our future. It gives us hope that there is a future.”
Ambassadors said that they enjoy being an inspiration to others as well as being looked at as a role model for younger students.
“I like that we are seen as role models and it gives us the chance to speak out,” Ramirez says. “I like to be an inspiration to younger students.”
The groups of ambassadors have scheduled conference calls in which they talk about possible events that can be scheduled for the students in their region. Each ambassador calls a number and types in their “ambassador code” which then directs them to the conference call with the other ambassadors and leaders in that region. These calls help the ambassadors with responsibility because they must remember to call in themselves and deliver good ideas to the group.
“Through this program I have learned that if I want my voice to be heard I have to work hard and gain the respect of others,” Soyultuga says. “I have to work hard and be able to have an open mind to change the world one project at a time.”