LOS ALAMITOS, CA – Los Alamitos High School’s 20+ year program, GWAM, has successfully completed another year of building connectivity within the freshman class and the community. On Sept. 27 and 28, freshmen went to Weaver Elementary School to partake in activities with fellow students and leaders about mental health, empathy, acceptance, and diversity. 

“[GWAM] taught us how to be nicer to others because you don’t know what people are going through,” said freshman Rory Young.

Griffins With a Mission is a student-run organization that helps freshmen learn respect for themselves, others, and the community. GWAM was established in 1992-1993 after an incident regarding animosity towards certain cultural groups on campus. The student body decided that they needed to stop this defamation, so they started Griffins With a Mission, and it is still going on today.

On the mornings of the freshmen retreats, students and GWAM leaders met at the Los Al gym and headed on a bus to Weaver for the event. The day ended back at Los Al before the end-of-school bell rang at 3:17 p.m.

For the past few weeks leading up to the freshmen retreat, GWAM leaders had been working hard to prepare for their yearly event and the multiple activities for freshmen to discover new things about themselves. During the retreat, students participated in activities that brought each other together with personal scenarios while still being considerate of their own privacy. 

One activity that students said was most memorable was where students stood in a circle, and when a leader said a comment that applied to them, they stepped in. This activity showed others that everyone goes through tough situations and there will always be someone who can relate to you and help.

Retreat groups played games, had meaningful conversations, and overall connected with peers on a deeper level. Students returned to Los Al before school was dismissed. According to several freshmen, they learned a lot and had a good time talking with new friends and leaders.  

“I thought [GWAM] was really fun, and my group leaders were really interactive with our group. I got to learn about other people’s [stories] and other people’s perspectives,” said freshman Anjali Contreras.

The goal of GWAM’s freshmen retreat was to create a safe and comfortable environment for the students transitioning into high school, and the leaders did a wonderful job achieving that goal! We cannot wait to see how GWAM will affect Los Al Griffins this year in the long term. Thank you GWAM for providing a wonderful experience for our freshmen; see you next year!