Rancho Cucamonga High School’s peer counseling program recently recognized Suicide Prevention Awareness Week, which took place from Sept. 4-10. Peer Counseling hosted many activities to help uplift the campus and its students. 

With the help of the Peer Counseling Advisor, Ms. Kelsi Trautwein, the event included various activities in the main quad including a donut game, musical chairs, face painting, and passing out bracelets to help spread awareness. RCHS also opened and advertised the peer counseling program. 

“I think [the activities] got everyone to get together and have a good time in the quad,” said senior Madison Hollenbeck. 

“Peer counseling creates a safe space for students to talk when they’re in high-stress situations or any sort of bad situation,” Hollenbeck said. “They can come to us and we do conflict mediations and we basically give students a safe space to talk.” 

Hollenbeck explained that peer counseling helps students with various issues, personal and school related, at all times. Peer counseling generates a sanctuary for students. Currently, peer counseling is available to students in room R101.

Trautwein took over the Peer Counseling program this year.

“I got the SEL [social emotional learning] class with Ms. Traut, and she mentioned we were going to have Peer Counseling this year and that just seemed interesting,” said junior Benjamin Pereira.
While speaking to Trautwein, she mentioned that it is a two-year program in which the first-year students get trained, and in the second year they are able to do fieldwork. 

“There is a year-long training class that goes over what peer counseling is all about, what we do, and the services we provide here on campus,” senior Amelia Weddle said. “That’s a year-long, and then there is fieldwork which is going and talking to the students and helping with conflict mediation to help give the students the opportunity to tell us the situation before admin steps in.”

Peer Counseling overall provides a safe space for all students to discuss various issues. They recognize sensitive topics, including but not limited to, mental health.