By VINCE REMBULAT

The Bulletin

STOCKTON – Josh Samonte, Briana Buenrostro and Crystal Alvarez are looking forward to their senior year at Weston Ranch High.

They’re best of friends who have made the most of their time in high school, juggling their studies along with host of activities. Samonte and Buenrostro are in the Leadership while Alvarez is involved in Link Crew.

Yet they can remember their first time at WRHS.

“I was nervous,” Samonte said Friday during Link Crew orientation welcoming the Class of 2023. “I was worried if I would even fit in.”

He had come from George Komure Elementary School and, as it turned out, became thankful for the Link Crew experience.

“The (Link Crew leaders) did a real good job making us feel welcome,” Samonte said.

Ditto that for Buenrostro, who had arrived to WRHS via August Knodt Elementary School.

She overcame those initial fears by becoming involved – Buenrostro played softball and volleyball for the Cougars in recent years – and meeting more people along the way.

As one of this year’s 30 Link Crew leaders in Aubrey Lewis’ class, Alvarez is looking forward to helping these newcomers with that period adjustment to their new surroundings.

“It’s that not knowing what to expect is what makes you nervous,” she said.

For Lewis, this is all part of the Link Crew process.

“I can remember when they were freshmen,” she said, referring to Samonte, Buenrostro and Alvarez.

This year’s class of 390 are once again coming predominantly from Manteca Unified feeder sites August Knodt, Komore and Great Valley.

“Most likely, these ninth graders probably know of each other,” said Lewis, who has been at WRHS for the past eight years, referring to this tightknit southwest community of Stockton.

She was pleased to see that most of this year’s freshmen class took part in the Link Crew event.

“We had a good turnout,” Lewis said.

The first day of school at Manteca Unified is Thursday, Aug. 8.