By Michaela Bax-Leaney
While school on a snowy Saturday morning might not be where most students find themselves, it was where over 30 students gathered on Jan. 19 to warm up for a year of outreach with the Faculty of Public Affairs.
The training was attended by students in majors ranging from law to communications, but they all had one thing in common: they are this years Faculty of Public Affairs Ambassadors.
The day kicked off with the group learning about the staff there to support them, the events being hosted throughout the year, and their role in engaging current and prospective students.
As an Ambassador, you fill one of three roles: events volunteer, outreach volunteer, or journalists. The events volunteers are the face of the faculty; they are the ones running programming from lectures to future student nights.
Lauren Hollis is one of these events volunteers. She volunteered to be an Ambassador with the program because “I really care about it. It’s not just to network, I want to really be involved. I struggle with some anxiety, so I want to push myself out of my comfort zone and force myself to step into conversations with new people.”
The role of an outreach volunteer is a bit different. These volunteers are paired with prospective students to give them a much more personal experience when learning about all Carleton has to offer.
“I want to engage with future students in a meaningful way. And as an international student, I understand starting university can be doubly scary for some people; it’s a new school and a new country. I want to help other people work through that,” said Anwesha Anand, an outreach volunteer.
And finally, the student journalist. Much like a regular journalist, these Ambassadors will cover and photograph FPA events to highlight them and promote engagement.
After a breakout session where the Ambassadors learned more about their specific roles, the group reconvened to hear from the Paul Menton Centre. Jocelyn van Wynsberghe is a Student Support Officer at the PMC. Her role on Saturday was to stress the importance of making FPA events accessible to all, and giving the Ambassadors practical tips and tools to do so.
Thursday, February 28, 2019 in Ambassadors
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