University Ambassador skills complement English major studies

By Ellie Johnson, Senior Writer

Florida State University’s Office of Admissions is currently hiring for its 2025 training class of University Ambassadors. University Ambassadors are undergraduate students who serve as campus tour guides, offering information and inspiration for new generations of FSU students.

Several English majors currently serve as ambassadors, promoting a positive campus experience while providing those students with skills that they will value and maintain for the rest of their professional careers.

English-Editing, Writing, and Media senior Alyssa Migenes is currently in her second year as an ambassador, and she appreciates how being an ambassador has helped her as an English major, and vice versa.

“Being an EWM major has given me a unique perspective on how people communicate and the many ways writing shapes our daily lives,” Migenes shares. “As University Ambassadors, we spend weeks learning and memorizing detailed information about FSU, such as its departments, majors, student organizations, and opportunities for academic and professional growth.”

Migenes adds that being an ambassador and English student helps her better understand the ways in which her major and job both impact the lives of the prospective FSU students she guides through campus. She uses her background in EWM, she explains, to provide the best guest experience possible to potential FSU students and their family members she encounters in her work.

“The script we memorize has been edited over the years to provide guests on tour with the most accurate information,” she says. “Being an EWM major has allowed me to think deeper about how the script is formed and how it can be arranged to make the most sense to guests.”

New University Ambassadors will spend the remainder of this fall semester training to give engaging tours. Supervisors and current ambassadors train them, serving as mentors and helping them in whatever way they need. They learn new skills and enhance their current abilities in areas such as public speaking, promoting a positive guest experience, and gaining overall knowledge regarding FSU.

Samantha Turner is the Ambassador Coordinator, and she oversees the program’s hiring, training, and development processes.

“First and foremost, we seek individuals who have a genuine love for Florida State,” Turner says. “To succeed in this role, you must believe in the institution you’re representing and be able to share your personal experiences to help others connect with FSU.

“Next, we value a strong willingness to learn. Ambassadors are expected to know far more about Florida State than the average student, and the learning never stops,” she continues. “We look for individuals who are curious and eager to gain knowledge so they can confidently share accurate and meaningful information.”

Migenes says she benefits from being an ambassador by gaining a deeper understanding of the impact of their work.

“While we gain a deeper understanding of the university, the most rewarding part of the role is connecting with guests on tours,” Migenes continues. “Serving as a University Ambassador has allowed me to see how the skills I develop in my EWM classes come to life in real-world settings.”

Those skills, Migenes says, include storytelling, public speaking, and effective communication, which help her both in English classes and professional settings. Turner points out that students are not expected to be polished public speakers from the start. The training process helps build those skills, which is why commitment to the training period is also essential to Turner in the hiring process.

“Being an ambassador is a unique opportunity to develop a wide range of valuable skills that many other roles may not offer,” Turner says.

Currently enrolled undergraduate students are eligible to apply for the part-time position. Turner encourages English majors interested in this opportunity to apply for the position of University Ambassador. Applications will close on FSU’s Job Board on September 11. You can learn more about the application process here. The supplemental application, a short-answer response section that is emailed to each applicant once the main application is completed, will close on September 12.

Ellie Johnson is a double major in English-Editing, Writing, and Media and in psychology. She also is currently a University Ambassador.

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