Meet the 2024-2025 RGHS Peer Helpers

Hi my name is Ariana Medina. I am a junior and my pronouns are she/her. What I love about being a Peer Helper is being able to help people and connect with them on a personal level. When I feel sad, something that helps me feel better is hanging out with my cat. When I’m not at school I like to write, dance and sing. A personal goal I have for myself this year is to write and direct a short film because my passions are theater and writing.  

My name is Ashleigh Cortez. I am a senior & my pronouns are she/her. What I love about being a Peer Helper is the support of everyone involved in the group. I take care of my mental health by acknowledging that my brain & mental health is just like any other part of my body. Just like I would take time to heal physical injuries, I also need to take time for my mental health if I’m feeling unwell. Hobbies I enjoy are running, basketball, volleyball, tennis, skating, being active, drawing, yapping, & crafting. This year I feel more confident & independent and I'm excited to take control of my life & where it's headed. 

What's up! My name is Ashley. I am a senior & my pronouns are she/her.  I am a Peer Helper because I genuinely care about helping people not feel alone. I take care of my mental health by giving myself breaks. When I feel sad something that helps me feel better is crying it out with music. I am extremely passionate about animals & I also love learning how the human brain works. Something interesting that I do is Tarot reading. I am looking forward to this year because it is my senior year! I really want to enjoy it & make new memories that will last a lifetime. 

Hello, my name is Beni. I am a 9th grader and my pronouns are he/him. I chose to become a Peer Helper because I want to have fun and help people. My favorite way to relax is playing video games. I take care of my mental health by letting people know how I feel and connecting with family. I am looking forward to this school year because I want to have fun during my first year of high school. A personal goal I have for myself this year is to get good grades and have fun with activities. 

Hello, my name is Brisa and my Pronouns are she/her. I am a senior and this is my 3rd year as a Peer Helper. I decided to become a Peer Helper to learn more about how to help others. I love to read, and my favorite way to relax is by watching TV. I take care of my mental health by writing. After high school, I plan to go to college.

Hi, my name is Daisy Ordoñez. I am a junior and my pronouns are she/her. This is my third year as a Peer Helper. What I love about being a Peer Helper is it is a fun experience and helps with my community service hours. My favorite way to relax is to disconnect from everything and just be outside. Hobbies I enjoy are reading, hiking, swimming and being around animals. After high school I plan to enroll in college out of state and find a good job. 

Hello, my name is Dylan. I am a sophomore and my pronouns are he/him. I chose to become a Peer Helper because I enjoy helping others and my sister told me it was a very great club. When I am feeling stressed or anxious, something that helps me is listening to music that's very relaxed and slow. When I’m not at school I like to play video games and listen to music. Hobbies I enjoy are collecting vinyl records and walking. After high school I plan to go to college to become a marine biologist or a real estate agent. 

My name is Dylan Grissom. I am in 9th grade and my pronouns are he/him. I want to be a Peer Helper because I want to help people. I take care of my mental health by eating, running, and going to the gym. My favorite way to relax is watching tv and playing video games. When I’m not at school I like to go riding with all my friends. After high school I plan to get a good job. 

Hey, I'm Eli. I'm a senior and my pronouns are she/her. I'm a second-year Peer Helper. I enjoy relaxing & taking care of myself in my free time, and spending time with my family is important to me. I'm passionate about martial arts and I enjoy sports and making money. I look forward to graduating this year and pursuing my interests in martial arts and studying something related to sports or business in college. 

My name is Erica Toledo. I am a 9th grader & my pronouns are she/her. I chose to become a Peer Helper to try it out & see if I like it. My favorite way to relax is to clean my room, make my bed, then lay down & listen to music while doing some homework or playing games. When I am angry, something that helps me calm down is talking to my dog & going outside & stargazing. Hobbies I enjoy are welding and building & painting bikes. People might be surprised to know that I’m in a lowrider bike club & I’m very talkative around people I'm comfortable with. A personal goal I have for myself this year is to focus on myself more, join some clubs, & do fun activities. 

Hi, my name is Bella. I am a junior and my pronouns are she/her. I decided to join Peer Helpers because I understand what it is like to feel like no one is there for you. I want to be able to make other people feel like they can talk to someone without any judgment or negativity. I want to be a person's safe space. My favorite way to relax is listening to music. When I am feeling stressed or anxious, something that helps me is: talking to my boyfriend. Hobbies I enjoy are reading, writing, and playing music. A personal goal I have for myself this year is to really focus on myself and what I need to do to get myself through another year. 

My name is Jadyn. I am a 10th grader and my pronouns are she/her. I chose to become a Peer Helper because I think it will be fun to help others and have new experiences. When I am feeling stressed or anxious I like to listen to music, write, or be with friends who make me feel comfortable. When I’m not at school I like to hang out with friends or sleep. A personal goal I have for this year is to work towards better grades. I also want to learn to get out of my shell more. 

Hi! My name is Jasmin Lozano. I am a Junior and my pronouns are she/her. I am a Peer Helper because it makes me happy to be in the community and being in the club makes me feel fulfilled. I take care of my mental health by writing and journaling. When I’m not at school I like to rot in bed. People might be surprised to know that I am the most understanding and talkative person when it comes to speaking to newer people. An interesting fact about me is I love animals and have way too many. I am looking forward to this school year because it is an exciting year full of new people and special classes. 

Hi, my name is Jocey Rodriguez. I am a Junior and my pronouns are she/her. I chose to become a Peer Helper because it was recommended to me by a friend. My favorite way to relax is to watch movies/shows. When I am angry, something that helps me calm down is giving me space or something to eat. Hobbies I enjoy are reading, writing, baking, or watching my shows. I am looking forward to this school year because of Jag and Ethnic Studies opportunities. A personal goal I have for myself this year is to get straight A’s. 

My name is Joshua Garcia. I am a Senior and my pronouns are he/him. I decided to join Peer Helpers because I like helping people & I also had lots of fun doing Peer Helpers in middle school. I take care of my mental health by watching and listening to my actions & reactions. When I am angry, something that helps me calm down is breathing and calming my thoughts. I enjoy Kickboxing and like to spar in my free time. I look forward to graduating this year and working on becoming the greatest version of myself.

Hi! My name is Judith Monsivais. I am a sophomore & my pronouns are she/her. I decided to join Peer Helpers because I want to help other people & also myself. My favorite way to relax is sitting & reading a book. When I’m not at school I like to dance, read, bake, & hang out with friends. Hobbies I enjoy are baking, crocheting, & running. People might be surprised to know that I am bilingual & speak both Spanish and English fluently. A personal goal I have for myself this year is to have a faster mile time. After high school I plan to either go to the airforce or med school. 

Hello! My name is Melanie & my pronouns are she/her. I am a junior and I returned to Peer Helpers this year because I enjoyed it my first year and I wanted more experience in it. When I feel sad, something that helps me feel better is listening to music, coloring, hanging out with my dogs, or just writing about my day. After high school I plan to go to college and study forensic psychology.

My name is Mirlexis Quintana Reyes. I am a senior and my pronouns are she/her. I am a Peer Helper because I believe you never know what someone is going through, and what better way to help those in need than by surrounding them with care and showing that they matter by giving that extra hand when least expected. When I'm not in school, I enjoy going on hiking & camping trips with my family. This is my last year and I cant wait to give it my all before I graduate. After high school I plan to attend UNM and become a Pediatric RN.

My name is Nisha. I am a sophomore & my pronouns are she/her. I chose to become a Peer Helper because I wanted to try something new & help others when I can. My favorite way to relax is to sleep or take a walk while listening to music & when I’m feeling stressed or anxious I like to take a walk or watch one of my comfort movies or shows. Hobbies I enjoy are drawing & dancing. I am looking forward to this school year because I get to make new friends.

My name is Regina. I am a sophomore and my pronouns are she/her. What I love about being a Peer Helper is that we get to do fun activities and learn new ways on how to understand one another. When I am feeling stressed or anxious, something that helps me is going out and playing with my dogs. Two interesting facts about me are, I am left-handed and I really hate seafood. After high school I plan to go to college and get a bachelor's degree.

My name is Ruby. I am a senior and my pronouns are she/her. I am a Peer Helper because I enjoy helping people and I love the program in general. Everyone is nice and extremely welcoming. I take care of my mental health by giving myself realistic expectations and making sure I don't overwork myself. Hobbies I enjoy are art, animation, gaming, coding, and doing forest walks. A personal goal I have for myself this year is to pass all my classes with high grades and pass all of my AP tests. 

Hi! My name is Victor. You can call me Vicky. I am a senior & I go by all pronouns. What I love about being a Peer Helper is the ability to learn how to help people more. I want this life skill so I can add a ray of sunshine in a world full of darkness. When I feel sad, something that helps me feel better is crying. Then when I'm done, I admire myself in the mirror & take pictures. When I’m not at school I like to explore wherever the wind takes me. People might be surprised to know that I listen to very heavy metal & very light pop. After high school I plan to go to college to study psychology either online or overseas. 

My name is Victor Hernandez. I am a Senior and my pronouns are he/him. I am a Peer Helper because I love to send positive messages to the people in the school, giving advice, and helping. When I am feeling stressed or anxious, something that helps me is playing with my dogs. A personal goal I have for myself this year is to get a job. After high school I plan to go to college and help my parents. 

My name is Dexter! You can also call me DD or Dexie. I am Ms. Heather’s service dog and my pronouns are he/they. My mom made me join Peer Helpers, but I am glad I am here because I really love kids and being at Rio. I am also really good at giving unconditional love! Hobbies I enjoy are hiking, chasing lizards, and looking for pizza crusts at Rio. People might be surprised to know that I am 12 years old (that is really old for a dog). I can also shake and do other tricks. A personal goal I have for myself this year is to stop barking when someone knocks on my mom’s office door. 

Hello, I am Ms. Heather. I am the Head Special Ed teacher & my pronouns are she/her. I believe that all students should feel safe & welcome at school. I want to support the Peer Helpers because I think peers helping peers is a great way to support students! My favorite way to relax is gardening, hiking, baking, and watching movies with my son. A fun fact about me is that I love bugs!!! I take care of my mental health by seeing a therapist, taking my meds, sharing with others the importance of mental health, and recognizing that I deserve grace and compassion just like everyone else! 

Hi! My name is Pinto. I am a therapy dog that works with Ms. Milligan & my pronouns are he/him. I like being a Peer Helper because I like to make students feel better by giving them kisses & cuddles. I also like that we meet during lunch because the Peer Helpers sometimes share their food with me.  When I'm not working, I love to go for long walks, play with my squeaky toys, eat treats, and chill on the couch with my mom.

Hello! I am Ms. Milligan & my pronouns are she/her. This is my 6th year as a Peer Helper Sponsor! I absolutely love this program because it gives students the opportunity to be leaders, teach & help each other, and make a positive impact in the school & community. I take care of my mental health by seeing a counselor weekly, taking my medications, & doing things I enjoy to help reduce stress & anxiety. Some of my favorite things are: being out in nature, playing board games, doing crossword puzzles, taking walks with Pinto, spending quality time with my kids, traveling, reading & collaging.