SOUTH HAVEN, Mich (WOOD) — Growing up in South Haven means close proximity to the water. For two seniors at the high school, it has also meant learning to keep others safe.

Jackson Grieves and Carson Dissette were chosen as the News 8 Football Frenzy Tailgate Students of the Week for their positivity, dedication and service to younger students in the district.

Every fall, elementary kids are bused to the high school pool for a week of lessons. They learn basic safety rules, like swimming with a buddy or paying attention to beach flags, along with practical skills like floating and backstroke.

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South Haven student Jackson Grieves.

Grieves remembers getting those lessons himself.

“It was the best. We would come over. It’s just like a fun week. We got to get out of school. We were doing math. So it was great,” he said.

Now, he and Dissette are the ones in the water helping kids build confidence.

“We’re both lifeguard certified, CPR certified, so we can kind of do it all, honestly,” Dissette explained.

Some of the students need extra attention and that’s where the high school volunteers make a difference.

“Just this week, this little boy we had, he refused to even go past the flag hanging on the wall,” Grieves said. “By the end of the week, we had him swimming to the deep end. I mean, (in) a life jacket, but swimming to the deep end on his own.”

Living steps from Lake Michigan, both teens know how important those skills are.

“I think it’s important to be confident in the water, especially where we live,” Grieves said. “That’s kind of why we have this program. I don’t think other schools really do something like this.”

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South Haven student Carson Dissette.

“It’s kind of maddening that tourists don’t get to do this,” Dissette added. “We’ll have a lot of tourists come to our town and swim in the lake even when the lake’s not safe. So I think it’s really good for the kids in schools that don’t know how to swim, so when they do go to the lake, they know how to do it.”

Their teachers and coaches also credit the two for the way they encourage others.

“(Dissette is) really motivated all the time, always positive,” Grieves said of his friend. “At 5 in the morning, I really want to go home, and he’s like, ‘Yeah, but we’re going to do great this year. That’s why we’re here.’”

Dissette returned the compliment.

“(Grieves) knows the limit to push with kids and when to stop. It’s just great, overall,” he said.

Whether it’s teammates encouraging each other at a meet or high schoolers helping younger kids find their confidence in the pool, both students say support makes all the difference.

“Swimming is very much like, you’re in your head all the time,” Grieves said. “So you got to have somebody to kind of get you out of there.”