Shy, little freshman-me was terrified to be at college. Despite being scared, I knew I wanted to push myself to come out of my shell and gain new skills and experiences. After all, isn’t that what college is for? As a part of this, I decided to sign up for the Raptor Ambassador Program. After briefly visiting their table at the involvement fair, I was sold. Although the idea of giving tours sounded scary and way out of my comfort zone, I was up for the challenge. When freshman-me signed up for this program, I had no idea that it would shape me in the ways it did. I have become more confident, a better public speaker, and made so many friends. So here I am, senior-me, trying to explain to you all why this is a great program to join!
1. Gain “People Skills”
The main task of a Raptor Ambassador is to give tours and help out with large Admissions events. This means, you are constantly talking with prospective students and their families. Over time, this ability to build rapport with someone comes very easily. Being able to build rapport will serve you well in any single job/field you get in to. You also become very comfortable with public speaking. Sometimes, you’re giving tours to ten or more people at a time and you have to be a little more vocal and comfortable with what you’re saying. I have even had the opportunity to be a part of multiple student panels that speak in front of 200 or more people. I would have never been able to do something like that without this program.
2. Beef Up Your Resume
The program is considered volunteer work, so you could use it on your resume as such. It is also a great talking point at interview for jobs or internships. Lastly, it shows that you are involved and care about the campus you’re a part of. Once you volunteer for a semester/year, you do have the opportunity to apply for a paid position on the Raptor Ambassador Leadership Team, which I’m now a part of. We are the ones that ensure the program runs smoothly. This is also a great addition to have on your resume and it shows that you are committed to seeing things through.
3. Make New Friends
Being a part of this program has brought me to some of my closest friends in college. As a commuter student who came into college with two close friends from high school, I didn’t think that making friends would really be necessary (or easy). When you’re around other ambassadors at events and start recognizing each other in class, it is so easy to make new friends. When I became a part of the Ambassador Leadership Team, Myiah G. was also hired at the same time, and we found our birthdays are only three days apart (which we bonded over)! Now, fast forward two years, I spend nights at Myiah’s dorm, go to her volleyball games, and consider her one of my best friends, all thanks to the Ambassador Leadership Program.
4. Be a Part of Something Bigger Than Yourself
Being a part of this program is endlessly rewarding. We are constantly being recognized as a necessity on campus because we are the ones who draw other students to the school. The best thing about giving tours and showing students and their families why Rutgers–Camden is great is when you see those same students attending Rutgers–Camden a semester or two later. I have even had multiple people come up to me and say “You were my tour guide! You were the reason why I chose to come to Rutgers–Camden!” Even better is when you give a tour to someone and they come here, and then join the Ambassador Program because they too want to make a difference (shout out to Eric G.)!
The Raptor Ambassador Program has many perks besides just being fun. If you’re interested in learning more or how to join, reach out to us at ruambassador@camden.rutgers.edu or visit us at an involvement fair this fall!