Back in February, students and teachers were able to nominate other students around the building that they thought would fit into the PALS program. Peer Assisted Leadership Students, or PALS for short, is a program where students who are carefully selected are assigned an elementary school student that they meet with weekly at a GCISD elementary school.

The PALS do not only go and visit elementary schools, however. The PALS are also responsible for working the spirit shop in the Panther Den, organize all the pep rallies, organize, manage, and attend the Homecoming Dance, decorate the hallways during the homecoming dance, Freshman Orientation, and a lot more.

Over the past few months, students had their opportunity to join the program. Students had to be nominated, then write an essay, and then have an interview with the selection committee which included several senior PALS and faculty members. 

From the get go, around 200 students are nominated to be in the program. From there, around 80 students are sorted out from the rest based on their essays, and after the essays around 40-60 students are selected to be in the program the next school year.

This year, after the process of nominations, essay writing, and interviews, 66 students were selected to be in the program. Some PALS are returning from last year, and a lot are joining the program for the first time.

If you are interested in joining PALS in the 2023-2024 school year, you will have your opportunity to become a member after the first semester of the 2022-2023 school year when nominations open up. If you have any questions about the program, you should ask your counselor or a PALS member for information about the program.

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