Many new students’ first day at MATC is chaotic. Between looking for the right classroom to getting their Campus Card made, the experience can be overwhelming. They could have used the assistance of a student ambassador.Student ambassadors assist the Recruitment Office by serving as the student face of MATC at campus events such as open houses, smartSTART information sessions and new student orientations. They act as hosts and hostesses, tour guides and student representatives of MATC at community events.
The student ambassador program was the brainchild of Brunetta Soward, MATC’s Director of Recruitment. Soward noticed an age gap between the department’s staff and the students who enrolled.
Although she was familiar with the communication style of the younger population, she thought having students interact with the public could help the department’s recruiting efforts. She realized other colleges had student representatives, and she thought a similar model could work for MATC. “The student ambassadors have a significant presence in the school,” said Soward. “They are student leaders in the institution.”
There are currently 10 student ambassadors employed through the Recruitment Office. They come from diverse backgrounds and are enrolled in a variety of academic programs including liberal arts, human services, marketing management, culinary arts, nursing, business management and civil engineering. Although they only need to maintain a minimum of six credits, most of the student ambassadors carry a full-time course load.
As a job requirement, the student ambassadors must maintain a 2.5 grade-point average. They also have to be personable, outgoing and articulate.
Soward said the student ambassadors receive extensive training in public speaking, customer service and leadership skills. In addition, they also have to be knowledgeable about the multitude of academic divisions and programs MATC offers.
The ambassadors agreed the job can be challenging because they are held to high standards, but they enjoy offering a student perspective to prospective students. They also enjoy the team atmosphere of the program.
Soward said that the response from campus administrators to the student ambassadors has been very positive and supportive, so much so, that some deans have used them to help out with department events.
The student ambassadors have also helped out with mass registration, escorting students to different campus offices and informing them about available resources.
According to Soward, the student ambassador program is housed primarily at the Downtown Milwaukee Campus, but there is a possibility they could expand to the other campuses, budget permitting.
In the meantime, Soward is enjoying working with the current group of student ambassadors. “They’re an exciting group,” says Soward. “They bring new energy to this team and I’m really happy to have them aboard.
