Wofford Ambassadors gets revamped

September 30, 2014

Student Experience Coordinator Ashley Hill along with Ambassador coordinators Louis Gonzalez and Tyler Ratterree work together to make the ambassador program a success.

MANY PROGRESSIVE CHANGES IN THE WORKS FOR WOFFORD’S CLOSE-KNIT HOSTING ORGANIZATION —

This year’s current Wofford Ambassadors program con- sists of 90 students, divided in three groups of students: Terrier Tour Guides, Terrier Hosts and Bell Ringer Scholars. The Guides strictly do tours, the Hosts help with any hosting events, which include overnight prospec- tive students and events on campus such as Hospitality Weekend, and the Scholars, who are chosen prior to arriving to Wofford, work hours in return for scholarships and do a bit of everything.

Aside from the three groups are the Ambassador Coordinators, who lead the group. Specifically working with tours and dealing with Ambassador applications are Tyler Ratterree and Louis Gonzalez. Grace Putney is in charge of recruitments, internal relations and works with the First-Year Bell Ringers. Dana Nobles is in charge of host schedules for senior overnight prospective students. Ashley Hill is the ambassador coordinator over the entire program.

As of now, 200 applications have been picked up for this year’s Wofford Ambassadors, but “there is no quota for how many can be in the program,” Hill admits.

According to Hill, the Wofford Ambassadors program is competitive and important because the Ambassadors are the face of Wofford when students and their parents are deciding on whether or not to become a Terrier.

“We’re trying to make a more intimate and personal feeling for visitors,” says Ratterree.

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Hill and Ratterree both agree that they are looking for students who will be dedicated.

“It’s an honor to be a part of a program where I know that I am impacting the lives of prospective students,” says Gonzalez.

Giving tours and hosting overnight students are the main responsibilities the Ambassadors have. That being said, Ambassadors do more than just give tours. Receptions on campus are often organized by the Ambassadors of Wofford. Along with college fairs, application days for students applying to Wofford, Hospitality Weekend, Scholars’ Day and the yield event, which is also called the Main Event.

This year the Main Event will be held on March 8– 9 and 29–30. At the Main Event, all accepted students are invited to campus, offered the opportunity to attend a class, and are given the chance to see what college is like.

The Ambassadors program is always looking for overnight hosts, including those who are not a part of the Wofford Ambassadors.

“[The Main Event] is where we need the most volunteers,” says Hill. “So many potential Terriers are on campus at this time, and they all need places to stay.”

According to Hill, changes are in the works for the program, including a more intense application process with interviews and a final presentation.

New Ambassadors will go through three months of training before giving tours or hosting students. During training, news Ambassadors will be going over policies and shadowing tours with current Ambassadors. There will be monthly training sessions, guest speakers and groups called “Terrier Paks,” which will be led by two upperclassmen who may advise younger Ambassadors needing their expertise.

Hill says that in past years, there have been students “who apply for the Ambassadors program and have not been as dedicated.”

The program’s numbers are dwindling to a selected few willing to put in the time and responsibility needed to be a Wofford Ambassador.

“Wofford Ambassadors has come such a long way from when I got involved three years ago. The restructure of the program will only continue to improve the impact we as Ambassadors have on prospective students,” says Gonzalez. “One of the greatest feelings over the past few years has been running into students that were once on my tour and are now a part of the Wofford family.”

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