By Rebecca Sirull, News Correspondent
The Presidential Ambassador Corps is a new university-run program for students to get involved in running campus events for alumni, donors and other important guests.
The Corps will consist of 12 students selected through an application and interview process, who will assist with registration and reception of visitors on campus, ensuring the smooth operation of events and doing miscellaneous tasks that arise.
“They’re jobs that are part of the event experience that, I think, students are perfect for doing and it gives them the exposure to all these things that they might not get in any other way,” Senior Director of University Events Brian Loutitt said.
Northeastern hosts over 1,000 events per year, and around 125 that deal with advancement, such as thank-you receptions, donor events and functions hosted by the president.
Just a few of these are the Honorary Degree Dinner, the Most Influential Seniors event at the president’s house, the Holocaust Breakfast and the Academic Honors Convocation.
Each year the number of events increases, as the university continues to grow and gain more donor support. Loutitt said that the response of visitors is always the same: they want to see more students.
“When students talk about their experiences, it brings things to life and I think that’s really the benefit for the guests,” he said.
Loutitt said he started thinking about the idea for the Corps after visiting other schools with similar programs.
“We’re reaching a broader and broader audience, we’re reaching a more global audience and so it’s important to have a group of well-trained students who can actually interface with the public in general,” he said.
Emily Hardman, director of student programming and communication, said he program benefits guests too.
“These senior people who are friends of the university come to campus and they love seeing what’s changed since they’ve last been here and hearing about the new things that are happening on campus, but I think what really excites them the most is talking with students directly and hearing these stories about the amazing things these kids are doing,” Hardman said.
The students also have much to gain from being involved in the Corps, Loutitt said.
“As a student, there are tons of opportunities to interact with people that you probably wouldn’t have normal access to,” he said.
This includes the ability to network with alumni, trustees and countless other important figures that students do not usually get the chance to talk to.
In addition, the students can get a new perspective on how Northeastern functions and how its many events are run, Hardman said.
“There’s a lot of nice events that happen that students generally don’t get to be a part of, so it’s a great opportunity for students to be able to be integrated into the stuff a little more,” she said.
To determine the final 12 students who will be a part of the Corps, the university events staff will evaluate a written application and resume, due by Feb. 28, and conduct interviews during the following two weeks. Loutitt and Hardman hope to have the group finalized by the end of March and ready to assist with events in April.
Hardman said she has already started receiving applications.
“We want you to be a high-achieving student but we also want you to have a personality that’s going to be comfortable interacting with all different types of people and being service-oriented, being able to make them feel comfortable and at home here at Northeastern,” Loutitt said. “Working in events, you definitely have to be somebody who can work under pressure and still remain calm, cool and collected.”
