What?
From the website: UHP Ambassadors are a select group of University Honors students who represent the University Honors Program on campus and in the community. UHP Ambassadors share information about their experiences within the UHP as well as, more broadly, the University of Cincinnati. They also plan, coordinate, and/or co-facilitate programs with the University Honors Program and can represent students on various committees and projects.
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Within the last few years, we've added an Ambassador Leadership Team to help manage events, mentor first-year students, and support the rest of the Ambassador Team. I began my Ambassador role in my third year of college, and applied to the Leadership Team as I entered my fourth year.
So what?
College Ambassadors are often the first people seen by prospective students and their families on a tour. It's up to us as current students to share our experiences in a positive, encouraging way, and to persuade younger scholars to consider UC as their next home. We also help build community and excitement about new opportunities for current students.
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This was my first formal mentorship experience, which I greatly enjoyed. I met with my two first-year mentees several times throughout the fall semester and got to know them over coffee and at panel events. I would have loved to have a resource like this as a freshman! I was able to give direct guidance to my mentees about finding and proposing honors experiences, how to present at UHP events, and how to make it through their first year on-campus in one piece. These few months made me a better Ambassador because I improved my own presentation and communication skills by teaching younger students.
Being a mentor means being extra attentive and always present so that nothing falls between the cracks. Even in my jam-packed fall semester, I made sure to attend as many events as I could and made myself familiar with new UHP experiences and special programs. One of my other responsibilities this semester was setting up our digital sign-up sheet, so I gained experience in planning and tracking events of all kinds. And, in our first truly in-person semester in a few years, it was so rewarding to have so many students attend interest sessions and social events!
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I think I've come a long way since beginning my Ambassador role. I'm a more confident presenter and can answer tricky student questions. Hopefully, this makes it easier for newer Ambassadors to practice, too!
Now what?
The spring is typically a little quieter for the Ambassador Team, but we'll use the extra time this semester to plan ahead for next year's Leadership Team. I've enjoyed being behind-the-scenes this year in recruiting and selecting first-year Ambassadors, and I think that prior experience will be useful this time around when we're starting the process earlier than usual. I'm also looking forward to planning more events like the welcome meet and greet and a more formal orientation for all 2023-2024 Ambassadors.