Touring all summer

Published 5 years ago -


Samantha Surowiec
Staff Writer

Coming to Assumption College, I knew exactly what on-campus job I wanted: Admissions Ambassador.
I fell in love with the passion and commitment of the twelve Ambassadors the first time I encountered them at Accept Assumption, as well as their iconic blue-and-white striped rugbies. Unfortunately, freshmen cannot become one of the paid Ambassadors, so I immediately signed up for the Student Ambassadors club instead, guaranteeing that I would still get first-hand experience giving tours and being involved in the admissions process.
They utilized the volunteers often, allowing us to shadow theirs tours, and even giving us the opportunity to lead our own tours during big event days like Open House and Accept Assumption. From being a Student Ambassador, I learned many helpful tips and tricks from my predecessors and just how much commitment was required to become one of the twelve.
When the applications for the next academic year were finally released, I filled mine out immediately, hoping and praying that I would be lucky enough to be one of the four hired to fill the vacancies left by graduating seniors. Without telling my parents (sorry mom and dad), I also applied for another position that I had not even known existed until the application appeared in my email: Summer Ambassador.
Each summer, Admissions hires five students to work full-time at the college and give tours for nine weeks during the summer. As I had just finished my freshman year, I was not expecting to obtain either position. However, while I was eating my waffle from the waffle truck at Pup Cup, I received an email from Jessica McCaughey, Associate Director of Visit Experience, also soon to be my campus mom.
I had been offered both the Academic year position and the summer position, which was my Assumption dream come true. Accepting the fall position was easy, and after much convincing, my parents conceded to the summer position, and I officially was dedicating my first college summer to Assumption. Little did I know, it would be one of the best decisions I had ever made.
Living on campus all summer was the growing experience I had no idea I needed but could not have benefited from more. This position was my first full-time job and it gave me a taste of post-college life working in a job you love. I finally had the opportunity to live in an apartment style dorm, since our summer housing assignment was South, which allowed me to test out my cooking skills.
Spending the summer at the relatively vacant Assumption campus was a breath of fresh air from the stress of college, giving me time to grow and learn independence that I never would have had while living at home.
The relationships I formed though, are something that I am also grateful for. Spending 40 hours a week with the other four Ambassadors was sometimes a little overwhelming, but it allowed us grow impossibly close.
We were all so different from each other, but we were able to mesh so well and learn how to work together. Thanks to my summer position, I was able to start my sophomore year with so many more connections and new friends that I never would have met otherwise.
I never would have gotten so close with one of my closest friends now, who happened to be my summer roommate and co-worker this summer. I am so grateful to have met all four of you, Kathryn, Dave, Corey and Xavier, as well as the Admissions house staff. And I am so grateful for the opportunity Assumption afforded me; paying me to do something I love all summer, while also giving me invaluable experiences.

Samantha Surowiec, a sophomore, studies history. She is a staff writer for Le Provocateur.

58 recommended
1145 views
bookmark icon