A freshman stood at the front of the room, pointing classmates through the line during a teamwork game. Junior LINK leader Hannah Davis watched it happen in the same classroom where she once sat as a nervous ninth grader.

"It was a full-circle moment," Davis told the Beverly Highlights. "One of our freshmen actually stood in the front and pointed each person through the line to help people remember the 64 squares game. I loved seeing that teamwork."

That scene played out Aug. 5 at Beverly Hills High School's freshman orientation, held for the first time in the newly opened K.L. Peters Auditorium. About 70 juniors and seniors served as LINK Crew leaders, guiding incoming ninth graders through icebreakers, campus tours and small-group activities one week before the first day of school on Aug. 12.

LINK Crew is a national peer-mentoring program that trains upperclassmen to support freshmen and transfer students through their first year. At Beverly Hills High, leaders applied for the role and gave up part of their summer to prepare.

ASB Director Jack Lama and teacher Sean Sims, the program's co-coordinators, ran a full day of training on campus before orientation. Lama, new to Beverly this year after four years teaching in Los Angeles and one in Boston, modeled every activity the leaders would later run with their freshman groups.

"It was extremely powerful to witness almost 70 juniors and seniors take time out of their summers in order to serve the incoming class of freshmen," Lama told the Beverly Highlights. "As a teacher who strives to serve their students daily, it was powerful for me to witness."

The orientation opened with performances from the cheer squad and band before students split into small groups. In the days before Aug. 5, LINK leaders also helped distribute textbooks and hung welcome posters around campus.

Select leaders ran a separate session that marked BHUSD's first-ever new-to-district student orientation, designed for families transferring into the district.

The K.L. Peters Auditorium itself is a milestone. Beverly Hills City Council members reported attending its grand opening at the council's Feb. 4 meeting, and the city has since used the space for the April 14 installation of Mayor Craig Corman and Vice Mayor Mary Wells.

LINK leaders' work doesn't end at orientation. They remain available to freshmen and transfer students by phone, text or in person throughout the year. The auditorium's debut as a student gathering space coincides with Beverly Hills High's centennial celebration during the 2026-27 school year.