Buddy program lets high school students offer a shoulder of support to their peers
By Ashleigh Plemper
Farmer Staff Writer
When Ryker Stodola lost his mother late last year, like any young child, he was devastated. Unable to understand the complexities of love and loss, a shoulder of support would offer a sense of solacement in a time of sorrow for the seven-year-old, thanks to the Watford City High School Student (W.C.H.S.) Ambassador’s Buddy Mentoring Program.
“What the buddies do is they come down and they eat lunch with the students and spend time with them,” says Amy Polivka, Watford City High School Political Science teacher, who overlooks the Student Ambassador Program.
While students aren’t necessarily paired with their buddy all year long, Polivka says it’s for as long as they need.
“This year word got around that kids were getting this last year. So this year we actually had parents that would seek out Breana Pacheco, the school’s social worker, and say, I want a buddy for my kid,” Polivka says.
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