Applications are being accepted for student ambassador and peer counselor positions

The Student Development and Orientation Office is seeking applicants for the position of student ambassador and spirit days peer counselor. Student ambassadors and student peer counselors promote the University to prospective students, incoming students and the community.

Cammie Dean, director of student development and orientation offices, heads this recruiting process.

She said the Office of Student Development and Orientation recruits new students for the positions and that the department has to replace those graduated fall 2012 and those who will be graduating spring 2013.

“Of course peer counselors training is in March and April, so we usually use February for recruiting, and for getting people into their positions so that they can do their training in the spring and be ready for the Spirit Days events in the summer,” Dean said.

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For students having difficulties determining what role fits them more, it is important to understand the aspects through which student ambassadors and spirit days peer counselors vary.

Dean said the peer counselors spend more time working specifically with first year students and the parents as their target audience. Ambassadors have the opportunity, in addition to meeting with prospective students, to work with special guests on campus, such as people who attend the president’s special events, current students and community members visiting the campus. They work with a broad range of individuals.

STUDENT AMBASSADORS

Student ambassadors have actively worked on campus since the 1970’s. The prestigious group of students, act as a liaison between the university, students and the community. Student ambassadors are considered the faces of the university and therefore, the position is not to be taken lightly.

“They interact with not only potential students,” Dean said. “They are also a representative of what MSU has to offer and the great things that happen here.”

Serving as a student ambassador is an opportunity for students to learn life-long skills. Students learn a range of leadership and communication skills they can utilize during and after college.

“Student ambassadors in particular, pick up a lot of excellent skills such as being good at meeting people and starting a conversation with someone you did not know until two seconds ago. A lot of etiquette and radical hospitality is also the sort of things students will get from being student ambassador,” Dean said.

Students interested in applying for the position should have a minimum 2.5 GPA and be involved in campus organizations and activities.

“We want them to be involved in other organizations and activities on campus so they would be able to share some of the things that happen on our campus,” Dean said. “And they should be open and interested into meeting new people here on campus. It does not mean that they cannot be introverted but it also does not mean that they have to be loud and extroverted but they do need to have enough confidence to be comfortable meeting new people and welcome persons on campus.”

C. S. Galagoda, a senior in international relations and political science, has been a student ambassador for a few years. Galagoda said The experience has given him the opportunity to give back to the University he explains.

“I just wanted to get in more with the university work and everything,” Galagoda said. “It has been great because I get to work with a lot of people like the president. He holds different events throughout the year and we volunteer for different events in the school and in the community, so it has been really great. We have an event called Mustangs Rally and we coordinate the high school seniors and juniors. We give them a tour of the school and explain to them what to expect in college life and everything so they have a good perspective and have a good idea of what they are getting into.”

SPIRIT DAYS Peer Counselors

Spirit Days peer counselors guide undergraduate students and their parents on Spirit Days. Spirit Days is an event for new undergraduate students that consist of an early orientation and registration program.

Students interested in applying for the position, should have a minimum GPA of 2.5 and have a spirited personality.

“We are looking for high energy students because Spirit Days events are long events,” Dean said. “They work all day and it requires lots of excitement. We are looking for high energy students who are willing to take on a leadership role because a lot of what they do is working with small groups and helping them get the things done that they need to do.”

Hired peer counselors will be trained extensively over a seven-week period to learn useful techniques on giving tours and being a leader.

“They will do seven sessions of training which range from anything like how to give a tour, to helping with registration and the ins and outs as to what students need to know regarding registration and enrolling in their first semester,” Dean said.

Mario Ramirez, a graduate student in education leadership, presently serves as Spirit Days peer counselor. The group has been a great instrument for developing his interpersonal skills.

“I applied because it was a great job opportunity and I was approached by one of the members who had already been a Peer Counselor,” Ramirez said. “The experience allows you to meet a lot of incoming people. It puts your name out there and you get do a lot of really cool stuff. You learn so many different skills during your training that it just helps you become a better student, person and leader on campus.”

Billy Brown, a junior in business management, has also learned a lot as peer counselor and states that “time management and networking” are the two important skills set learned.

“You have so much stuff going on; on Spirit Days you have to be able to juggle many different things at one time,” Brown said. “The experience is great; you get to meet all of the administration and stuff like that. And they get to know your name so it is a great networking tool. And then also for me it was a way to interact with new students and the other peer counsellors.”

Students interested in either becoming a Student Ambassador or Spirit Days Peer Counselor can apply online through Orgsync. The deadline for application is Friday, Feb. 8 at 5 p.m.