Buddy Program Builds Lifelong Bonds At Highland

Buddy Program Builds Lifelong Bonds At Highland

By Ally Blunt

At Highland School, a longstanding tradition creates powerful bonds between the oldest and youngest students on campus, capturing the journey from a kindergartener’s first day to a senior’s final year.

Known as the KindergartenSenior Buddy Program, this heartwarming initiative pairs graduating seniors with kindergarten students for a year of mentoring, friendship, and shared growth.

Highland senior Gray Condrell and his kindergarten “buddy.”

The program offers kindergarten students a nurturing introduction to the school community. Through interaction with their older student mentors, kindergarteners gain a sense of belonging and connection within the school environment that enhances their social and emotional development.

Highland kindergarten teacher Andrea McEvoy has witnessed many benefits of the program for her students.

“The kindergarteners gain a wider lens of the life of a Highland student and look forward to the many exciting things for their future at Highland,” she said. “I think the program creates a cohesiveness between students in the upper school and lower school that fosters a place where no matter how big or small you are, that you do matter.”

Seniors serve as role models, guiding their younger counterparts in various activities and school events. From walking in and sitting together at all-school events, including Convocation, to just having fun hanging out at recess, these buddies become a special part of each other’s daily lives. That regular interactions create a meaningful relationship that evolves throughout the year, and seniors gain a sense of fulfillment in mentoring the younger students.

A student at Highland since kindergarten, senior Gray Condrell said he’s fortunate to have experienced the buddy relationship from both perspectives.

“I’m very appreciative of the fact that, after having a senior buddy that I looked up to when I was young, I can be that person for someone else, especially at a school that I’ve gone to my entire life,” he said. “I thought everything about my buddy was the coolest thing in the world. I have this in mind every time I see my kindergarten buddy now.”

The buddy program is carefully integrated into Highland’s broader philosophy of a whole-child education, emphasizing character development, service, and leadership.

The interactions with their kindergarten buddies allow seniors to reflect on how far they’ve come in their own educational journeys, while also offering a chance to give back, model their leadership role in the school, and ultimately relive their childhood a bit as they transition to adulthood.

“I hope that it’s a way for all students to be reminded of the shared responsibility we have for each other, regardless of age, grade, interests,” said Director of College Counseling Megan Catalfamo. “I hope alumni look back fondly on their time as a buddy—whether as a kindergartener, senior, or both—as a way to celebrate our shared identity as Highland Hawks.”

As the academic year draws to a close, the bonds formed between the seniors and their kindergarten buddies stand as a testament to the program’s success.

For many, these relationships leave a lasting impact, shaping their perspectives and fostering a lifelong appreciation for mentorship and community.

For Gray, it’s the simple traditions with his kindergarten buddy that have left the biggest mark.

“When I have to leave, I give him a hug and say, ‘love you buddy, see you soon.’ And he does the same.”

Ally Blunt is a graduating senior at Highland and will be attending Wake Forest University in the fall.