Hawthorne High School students who are members of the Peer Leadership program went to William Paterson University (WPU) to attend a Teen Summit presentation on Wednesday March 20, 2013.

The group consisted of 10 students and their advisors, Kelly Clifford and Matthew Corvo. When the students arrived at WPU, they and many other schools were assigned colors and were split up into different groups. While the advisors stayed behind, each group was taken to separate rooms where they spent time talking about their teen lives.

Calvin Graham, a sophomore at HHS, really enjoyed the event. “I thought it was pretty eye opening,” Graham said. “The Teen Summit was a really unique way for students and fellow pupils to express feelings to their peers.”

Another Peer Leaders member who went on the trip, junior Cristina Pecoraro, also found great purpose in the event. “Being able to listen to other people’s problems was really refreshing,” Pecoraro said. “This was a great way to incorporate school and struggling students’ personal life.”

Peer Leaders of Hawthorne High School is an organization that helps students become role models for their fellow pupils. Students are chosen in the beginning of the year by one of the advisors, Kelly Clifford.