Moving and living off-campus can be daunting for students. After living off-campus, I became a community ambassador for the Mission Hill area.
When leaving the familiarity of campus and the lifestyle of being in residence halls, it is easy to feel disconnected from the Northeastern community. Students might feel overwhelmed by new responsibilities with having their own apartments.
Off-Campus Student Services created community ambassador positions to help students with issues that come with moving off-campus. The ambassadors are Northeastern students who live in the surrounding neighborhoods of Mission Hill, Kenmore-Fens and the Fenway. We help represent the university and ease the transition for students living in off-campus apartments and moving into the neighborhood communities.
As community ambassadors, our goal is to provide information, which ranges from renting issues and tenant rights to student organizations, events and services on campus. Community ambassadors connect students in need with the appropriate on-campus resources to help solve their issues.
In October, we hosted Meet and Greets, which were held by each neighborhood. At the events, students of the same neighborhood met, ate and had the chance to win prizes. We have also invited professors from all different majors to participate in our Dinner & Discussion series, which have been held at restaurants like Vinny T’s of Boston and Uno Chicago Grill. During the event, students enjoy a free dinner and talk about a topic with the chosen professor. This is the first year of the community ambassador program. We hope the activities will be annual events.
Community ambassadors have established contacts with several organizations on campus, like We Care, the Northeastern University Division of Public Safety and the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution. Additionally, community ambassadors work to link the large off-campus student population with the established community by volunteering in community projects, including the Mission Hill Road Race and Northeastern Service Day.
After listening to my friends, many students feel disconnected from the Northeastern community when they move off campus. I think the community ambassadors are taking the right steps to bridge the gap and create a more unified Northeastern community. If you are interested in participating in the community ambassadors program, please send an e-mail to [email protected].

‘- Marissa Kapfhammer is a junior physical therapy major.