Unknown to quite a majority of people at PLHS, there is a program here offered known as Teammates. In this program, there are adults that volunteer to be a student’s mentor.

The program was created by coach Tom Osborne and his wife Nancy in order to provide children with a mentor, someone that they can trust and gain counsel from when they require it the most.

Karla Rupiper is one of the few mentors here at PLHS. Several years ago is when she first applied to be a mentor, but just last year is when she got paired with a mentee.

“It was his belief and it is mine that every child can be successful, if they have at least one adult who is willing to be there to counsel them,” Rupiper said. “To just be a friend, and to walk with them as they journey into adulthood.”

In regards to events tied to Teammates there isn’t much, however they do host a conference for the mentors and the mentees. Teammates also show support for the local chapters and schools participating in the program.

“Not only do they support local coordinators at each of the schools and school districts, but they also host various conferences for the mentors,” Rupiper said.

Many don’t have knowledge of Teammates mainly because it started and mostly stayed in Nebraska, only expanding to four other states.

According to teammates.org, “We now serve thousands of boys and girls across the Midwest, and our mentors come from all walks of life.”

 If you are interested in joining Teammates or know people interested in joining then you should talk to your counselor for more information about the program.