FPA Ambassadors Sarina Bhaiwala and Jeehee Jung greet attendees at an FPA Research Month event.
If you attended one of the 30 events during FPA Research Month, you probably encountered an FPA Ambassador: a welcoming young person with an official t-shirt, offering programs and directions.
Made up entirely of volunteers, our FPA Ambassadors provided an important level of support to the Research Month events—and enriched their own experiences at Carleton, as well.
“I’m planning to do my Master’s next year, so volunteering for Research Month sparked my interest,” said David Andrews, a 4th year Criminology student. “I learned a lot about research and met interesting people from the campus and the community.”
The Faculty is selective in choosing its ambassadors: only 20 were chosen and a large waiting list remained.
“We were looking for students that would see the value in this opportunity and treat it with a level of respect and commitment,” said Cassie Hodgins, FPA’s events coordinator.
Students say they saw the volunteer position as an opportunity to network on campus.
“I’ve assisted the Dean of the Faculty, guest speakers, and I’ve met students from different majors and years,” said 1st year student Adrian Harbuz, also in Criminology. “Your first year can be isolating, but this was a great way to get involved.”
Third-year student Ateshia Irabor agreed the role led her to strike up conversations she would never have had otherwise.
“When I volunteered at the Living Books events, I had a chance to talk to the researchers about academia and conducting research,” said 3rd year Criminology student. “I’ve learned a lot from the experience.”
4th year Economics student Jeehee Jung was grateful she had a chance to participate before she graduates in the fall: “It was a great experience to meet so many people who came to the events. I’m just a little sad that it will be my only chance to be an ambassador!”
“The FPA Ambassadors proved to be friendly, helpful, and just a pleasure to be around,” said Cassie Hodgins. “I enjoyed seeing them develop skills, such as being more confident and assertive.”
The Faculty plans to expand the program next year to other events and will require a larger group of volunteers. Details will be shared with academic units in the fall, with some returning students already signed on for next year.
Wednesday, April 15, 2015 in Current Students, News
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