By Rachael Okonek

Hi, my name is Rachael Okonek and I’m a senior in high school in Ninilchik, Alaska.

I was a shy seventh grader when I attended my first PHlight Club in the spring of 2016. Little did I know that a three-day event would have the power to positively change my life!

During PHlight Club, we learned the importance of building webs of support. We discussed the various factors – tangible/intangible supports, social norms, disconnections from caring adults, caring-for-carers – that make up the web. Of all the factors, the one that has had the most impact on my life is the Rule of Five.

The Rule of Five challenges students to identify at least five caring adults, or Anchors, in their lives who provide connection, support, and guidance. Anchors have high expectations, teach skills, and celebrate strengths.

Because of my shyness, I couldn’t immediately identify any adults in my life that I felt comfortable opening up to. I clammed up at the mere thought that I would have to share personal details with someone. To my relief, Derek Peterson, the PHlight Club leader, explained that “it is never too late to add Anchors; the first step is to simply ask. Anchors don’t have to be people you see every day. You could only see them once a year, as long as you know they care.”

I realized at that moment that I did know an adult who has been in my corner all along: Jane Beck, who at that time was an academic coach at Ninilchik and attended that PHlight Club. I have known Jane since elementary school, and she has always been supportive of me and my education. Deep down, I have always known that Jane was someone I wanted to keep in my life for years to come.

Towards the end of the PHlight Club, I finally gained the courage to ask Jane to be my Anchor and a new door opened for me when she agreed. To this day we have grown closer than ever as she has helped me through the many highs and lows of high school. I still cherish the connection I have made with Jane. Without her, I might have been swept away in the waves of peer pressure, never to find myself. Through her support and dedication to my success, I have gained confidence in my own decision making. I have learned that each step out of my comfort zone brings me closer to finding my true identity. Knowing that I am capable of achieving my goals in life has motivated me to pursue new things such as Student Council, Project Grad, representing Ninilchik at a HOBY leadership conference, and ultimately devoting myself to giving back to others.

Even now, five years after my first PHlight Club, I use the Rule of Five. I am confident that my next chapter following graduation will lead me to the life I have always dreamed of. I will challenge myself to add even more Anchors as I begin new stages in my life.