"Link Crew in my eyes is like a big family. We all know each other, most of us are very social so its easy to talk to one another, and we all hope to make a change. Link Crew is more than a school leadership program, its a life changing experience. Being a part of link crew showed me that school is fun, and being a leader is even better. My whole perspective on school changed when I became a leader, school is much deeper than learning the material, you can make life changing decisions in high school. Meeting new people is hard but Link Crew has taught me ways to approach it to make it go soooo much smoother, and that's a life long skill I will use. All your life you're going to meet new people. Link Crew is so much more than a leadership class, so much more than helping freshmen, Link Crew is a hidden gem. Link Crew is life changing."

"The last and overall most important way that Link Crew has changed me was the club's ability to make me into a helper. I would have never seen myself as someone that looks to help first. As bad as that sounds, it's the truth. I would never be the first to step up and help or the first to volunteer myself. Now I can say that I am. I can say that if I ever saw someone near me, whether I know them or not, and they were struggling, I would be the first out of anyone to come help. Link Crew is one of the main reasons why I want to become a Nurse and have chosen it as my major for every school that I applied to. I knew before Link Crew that I wanted to be in the medical field but Link Crew opened my eyes to helping others. What better field of practice in the medical field is better than being a nurse, someone who helps many people. "

"Coming into Von I was INSANELY shy. I was never comfortable with speaking out loud or with talking to people outside of the people I already knew. These past two years with LINK Crew have brought me out of my comfort zone and I have learned to not limit myself to what I think is okay. "

"I genuinely feel like link crew has changed my mindset and the way I think on a daily basis. All through my life I've struggled with having confidence and I've always had a low self-esteem. As much as I portray confidence I've always struggled to genuinely find it in myself. For some people Link Crew might've been just a fun class where we got to help freshmen and help the school become better. I also felt like that but there was so much more that added on as time continued."

"I am proud to say that I did my best to be a part of a positive change at Von. Hearing Freshmen say that they want to be Link Crew leaders when they become juniors and seniors puts the biggest smile on my face. It shows how big of an impact the program has had and will continue to have at Von. I'm going to miss being called a Link Crew leader dearly, but what I should never forget is that I'm always going to be a Link Crew leader because I'm going to continue to share this experience in the future at college and when I get a job. I will always carry the traits and qualities that I gained from being a part of Link Crew for the rest of my life."

"Lastly, LINK Crew has changed my personality.  I am so much more outgoing than I used to be. The things that we do in LINK Crew can be silly which can be pretty embarrassing but it’s great because it helps the Freshmen get more comfortable and while this is the main purpose for the silliness, it reminded me of who I am.  I would sort of follow others on their idea of being “cool” but I realize now that what’s cool is being yourself and I’m naturally silly and outgoing and LINK Crew taught me to be true to myself."

"Link crew has made me more ready for the world. When I leave for college, I will take with me the skills that I learned here.  I will push through my fears. I will help others when I can. I will not sit back and let the world happen. Link Crew has helped me realize that I am in control of my life.  I can advocate for myself and reach my goals. It has been a great learning experience. "

"LINK Crew is one of the best thing that has happened to me during high school. 

First of all, I am more open and talkative than what I used to be. I'm not afraid to laugh and play and I'm definitely not afraid to be wrong. 

lt has also taught me that living in the moment type of energy is one of the most important things you can have! Don't think about the before or the after. Think about the now and how can you make the situation the best it can be."

"Link Crew has helped me academically because I've never really been a school type of person till I joined Link Crew because now every time I wake up, I wake up excited that I have school because I have build so many relationships with the freshmen and the leaders that I look forward to seeing and hearing from them everyday. 

Since Link Crew I have become more involved in my academic studies and I currently have a 3.7 GPA and I made it on "High Honor roll" list which I never saw myself doing. Link crew has made me a very open and fearless person to the point where I am not afraid to to sit in front of strangers and recite poems with so much emotion.

Outside of school Link Crew has, funny to say, made me a very nice and enthusiastic person. I am able to make friends super easily now. I've made friend with not just people my age but there are 9th graders and college student who I can honestly call my friends because of link crew. My whole attitude and demeaner towards life has changed I am now able to take risks without any fears of failing and I have Link Crew to thank for that."

"Junior year, I literally waited all day for 8th period. LINK Crew was my favorite class. The energy in that room was sooo healing for me as I was down in the dumps. Being in the class gave me something to look forward to in the day. Believe it or not, it really got me through that tough time in my life. Thanks to the amazing students I was surrounded by, they all provided a shoulder to lean on by listening to me vent, or giving me great advice. I formed bonds with people whose names I did not even know at the beginning of the year. I am so thankful I had this class to end my day with and brighten up my days. LINK Crew served as my outlet. LINK Crew is so special because there has been no other class where I formed those type of relationships. They were people I confided in and could trust. LINK Crew is filled with such special people."

"I never really thought I'd be a link crew leader to be honest.

I'm not going to deny this, I am shy, I am introverted, I prefer doing things alone, I prefer being alone, I prefer being independent, I prefer solo projects.

But sometimes, being lonely sucks. 

I often get tired of doing some things by myself. But, when joining link crew, I felt so happy.

I was the only person in my middle school friend group who attended Von. That meant I had a fresh new start, a fresh new beginning, and I had to overcome the obstacle of making friends.

I don't like anything particularly "popular". I am someone who's into anime, who's into the Asian culture, who's into things that people normally don't like. I was scared that for my entire high-school experience, I wasn't going to make friends with anyone. Link crew helped me make friends when I was a freshman. They paired me up with these friends from freshman connection that I am still friends with now.

Link crew helped me just...grow as a person. Link crew inspired me to be natural. With link crew, I could act myself and not have to worry about anyone teasing or bullying me, why? Because they understand, they know how it feels, they are professionals when it comes to being new. 

Link crew has such a diverse and just...different community, it makes me sometimes think about how grateful I am for being accepted here. 

Link crew, is by far, one of the best experiences ever.

I have changed and grown as a person.  And that is something a shy, introverted person could say out loud."

"Like Crew has made me a better student, a better employee, and overall a better person. I  have learned skills such as communication, critical thinking, delegating, and responsibility. 

Communication: Link Crew has prepared me for public speaking, as well as for working one on one with a person. It has taught me how to connect with all sorts of people. 

Critical thinking: There’s always going to be times in link crew where things don’t go as planned in an event, but link crew has taught me to think outside of the box. I have learned how to come up with new strategies when under pressure in a split second.

Delegating: Being a leader isn’t about doing all the work, nor is it bossing people around. A good leader recognizes the different strengths in their group and gives each member a task they know they will succeed in. 

And lastly, responsibility: Link crew has taught me a good leader is one who steps up to the plate. Someone who is always punctual, always has a backup plan, and who takes ownership for their mistakes. A leader is responsible for the achievements of the team, as well as their faults. 

I am very proud of the person I have become because of Link crew, and I am so happy I’m leaving Von knowing I’ve had a positive impact on the students here"