LEHI, Utah — Being the new kid on the block is hard – just ask Gwen and Owen Christiansen.
"I missed out on all my friends so I wouldn't get to see them anymore and it's just kind of a big step forward," Gwen said.
"I had all my friends in Sandy and then you come and you have to start all over," Owen added.
The twins moved from Sandy to Lehi at the beginning of the 2023-24 school year and found that making friends was harder than they hoped.
"I thought it would just be this magic move and we'd all just integrate well and it's been a little bit of a challenge," reflected their mom, Leslie Christiansen.
While waiting in the after-school pick-up line, Leslie thought of having a different, unique car pick up her kids from school for a few days in order to make their experience more enjoyable.
"I just made a quick little post, immediately hundreds of comments, people grouping together, showing pictures of their cars, being excited about the idea - it just took off," Leslie said.
Thanks to the community support, Leslie scheduled two weeks of epic rides for her twins.
Wednesday's ride was a 2021 Mustang Mach 1. Behind the wheel was Gordan Jacobs.
"I just thought this is such a great idea for the family," Jacobs said. "I was in the military and when we moved from England to Springville the first year our son was at Springville High he went through the same thing they're going through."
"They'll wave at their friends and the teachers and even the crossing guards are looking forward to it every day so it's kind of bringing this little community here together," Leslie reflected.
Leslie's goal was for her kids to feel more connected in the neighborhood and with the help of the drivers she's accomplished that and more.
"I thought it would help me get a good experience with friends and get a lot more and it has," Gwen said.
"I'm kinda like famous at school and stuff," Owen said.
Leslie encouraged other parents to take a creative approach to helping kids feel comfortable in school.
"If your children are struggling or if you feel like it's not maybe the right fit then get creative," she said. "This is one creative way, but there are probably a lot of creative ways to help our kids feel more comfortable at school."
