WESTBROOK — When it comes to navigating periods of transition, nothing helps more than hearing from people who have been through it before.

This belief is what spurred a year-long program at Westbrook High School, which culminated last week with a freshmen guidebook and presentation. The book, Mind Closet, was written by WHS students and a copy has been given to every freshman.

“Seeing your name in a book is awesome,” Zainab Almatwari, a sophomore, said.

Almatwari was published in the book along with Xien Hewajima, Cam Brown, Emily Greeley, Bella Woodhouse and Yasmin Mallari. The project was a collaboration between The Telling Room, a nonprofit writing center in Portland, and the school’s 21st Century Program, a federal grant program focused on getting students involved in after-school activities.

The book features stories with themes of friendship, bullying, divorce, death, gender identity, and fitting in. Some students wrote about issues they faced in school while others wrote about issues outside of school.

Michael Russell, the school’s 21st Century Program director, said it’s important for students to share these stories because it helps other students as well as school staff.

“We weren’t connecting with our students and understanding what’s happening with them outside of school, so it’s important for freshmen to hear this and know they’re not alone and that other students have gone through what they’re experiencing,” he said.

The students published in the book began meeting with The Telling Room a year ago to write, edit and publish their stories. On Oct. 19 they read them aloud to the freshmen class at a school assembly.

Shima Kabrigi, programs assistant at The Telling Room, said sharing work between peers is incredibly important and is a model the organization often works with. Deering High School has also created a freshmen guidebook with The Telling Room.

“I think it’s important for students to read student work,” Kabirigi said. “It’s relatable. They’re your peers.”

Brody Wood, a teaching artist at The Telling Room who oversaw the program at WHS, said creating the book helped students “reflect on their own experiences and also reflect on the experiences of others.” Wood also hopes the student writers realize how important it is to share their stories.

“I hope that writing and having space to share makes them feel valuable because they are,” Wood said.

Wood also echoed Kabrigi and said the book will hopefully help freshmen navigate the transition to high school and show them that others have shared their experiences.

“I believe in increasing opportunities for students to see themselves reflected in the stories they read,” Wood said.

Almatwari said she hopes the freshmen who read the book will feel comforted by the stories.

“I hope they will never feel alone,” she said. “I hope no one experiences feeling lonely.”

Russell, who approached The Telling Room about doing the program, handpicked the students who participated. He said he knew they would have valuable stories to share with others.

“These kids had something to say,” Russell said. “Clearly what they were going through was very much on their minds and this helped them get through what they had gone through at that time.”

Almatwari, who moved to the U.S. from Iraq in March 2016, said her freshman experience was affected greatly by immigrating to a new country. She said she feels fortunate to be able to share her experience and hopes that others find it helpful.

“I went through so much last year,” she said. “Not only a change of school, but a change of country and I really hope my advice can help other people.”

Kate Gardner can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 125 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @katevgardner.

Westbrook High School sophomore Xien Hewajima is one of six students published in Mind Closet, a freshmen guidebook created with The Telling Room.

Cam Brown and the other Westbrook High School students published in Mind Closet shared their stories with the freshmen class in a school assembly last week.