Becoming the Face of Campus: Admissions Ambassador
Students at WPU have several opportunities to get involved including becoming a member of over 15 different clubs and organizations or applying for various work-study positions. Positions such as being a part of the Student Government and Planning Association (SGPA) or being a library assistant offers students the chance to work part-time and earn money, all while not having to leave campus.
The highest-paid student position, and perhaps the most important, is an Admissions Ambassador. Students that hold this title conduct tours to prospective students and parents, along with professional staff candidates, in order to showcase everything WPU has to offer. Commonly referred to as “the face of the campus,” ambassadors spend most of their time in the Welcome Center, located in Main, under the supervision of the Campus Visit Experience & Guest Coordinator, Victoria LeFevre.
Ambassadors help LeFevre out with day-to-day responsibilities in the Welcome Center and showcase a student’s perspective of Peace that she couldn’t otherwise provide to potential students.
“The ambassadors are very important in the admissions recruitment process. They assist the office of admissions by giving tours to prospective students, work admissions events like Peace Preview, and engage by making phone calls to interested students,” said LeFevre.
“They are vital to the Office of Admissions because they are able to show what it is like to be a student here and are able to answer questions from prospective students for their perspective as students. They assist in so many ways and we could not get the job done without them!”
At the end of each year, students have the chance to apply for this position and go through the interview process. If their enthusiasm and love for WPU shine, they could be granted the position and start conducting tours, assisting with admissions events, and supporting prospective students.
In order to qualify for this position, students must be a full time undergraduate, have at least a 2.5 GPA, and be passionate about WPU. If a student qualifies, they will submit their resume and a cover letter and then an interview will be scheduled.
Those who make it through the whole process and are selected will make $12 an hour, receive exclusive gear, and have the opportunity to connect with potential students and their families.
All students holding this position understand the importance of their role and the impact that they have on visitors. Matthew Monroe and Emily Freer, senior musical theatre majors, both enjoy interacting with visitors but have two different outlooks on what being an ambassador means to them.
Monroe emphasizes being the “first” in his explanation of his position.
“First, and when I say first I mean that you are the first face that the prospective student and family are going to see when they come on their tour,” said Monroe. “You’re going to be the first person they communicate with about things regarding the school from a student’s point of view. You’re going to be the first one that they make a genuine connection with.”
To Freer, it doesn’t matter whether students choose WPU or not, she simply enjoys being a helping hand.
“I get opportunities to connect with potential students and their families and engage in conversation about what their next steps will look like. Whether that’s Peace or not, just helping in that process is a really cool experience,” said Freer.
There are several different perks to being an ambassador, outside of the pay and free gear. To Gabrielle Stone, a sophomore criminal justice major, it’s exciting to show off her own college.
“My favorite part about being an ambassador is that I get to meet potential new students and show them what our campus has to offer them to make their college experience successful,” Stone said.
Regardless of whether a student is looking to build their resume, or simply enjoys interacting with visitors, being an admissions ambassador is an admirable role on the WPU campus. All students that are interested in taking on this role should keep an eye out for the next time applications come out. Until then, test your knowledge of WPU and find out if you’re a good fit for being the face of the campus. When was WPU founded? What is the oldest building? What was the main building before? What’s our mascot’s, the pacer, name?