Stories

As the college application and selection process for high school students begins to wrap up, you will be seeing more and more prospective students roaming around on campus trying to figure out if SCU is the right place for them.  Leading these prospective students are SCU’s Student Ambassadors, the few individuals that know more about SCU than anyone else on campus.  Two of SCU’s current Student Ambassadors, Issabelle Hayden and Jerica Schlachter, are members of ACE, along with Lauren Kinerk and Eoin Lyons, who are abroad.

You might be wondering, what, exactly, does a Student Ambassador do?  “The work we do in the Student Ambassador program aims to educate prospective students on all that the university has to offer, and help them decide whether or not this is the right school for them. To achieve this goal, I participate in student panels, lead campus tours, work in the admissions office answering our visitor's questions and completing data entry, and volunteer at our large programs for prospective students including Open House and Preview Days,” says Issabelle.

Issabelle and Jerica have done a lot for the Student Ambassador program but have also noted several things that they have been able to take away thus far. Jerica explains, “Because the program has students from every area of SCU, I have been able to participate in so many events that I wouldn't have even known about before. It’s also incredible to be able to make an impact on how SCU is changing by giving feedback to administrative members.”  As for Issabelle, she enjoys the opportunity to “work alongside incredibly driven, interesting, and supportive individuals everyday. This means there are constantly opportunities for growth, and the chance to connect with people who are very different from [her],” which has allowed her to gain insight into the experiences and perspectives of others at Santa Clara.

As members of ACE, Issabelle and Jerica frequently discuss the program with visiting students.  Jerica reveals, “I talk about ACE on all of my panels to give an example of how Santa Clara has guided me through each year. It is exciting to tell prospective families about a program like ACE that provides major, study abroad, internship, and post-grad job support depending on your particular need. I think ACE is an awesome example of how Santa Clara prepares students for their careers.” Issabelle adds, “Over the course of this last quarter I have frequently called upon my experience with the ACE program to highlight the opportunities for professional and leadership development that exist in the Leavey School of Business. Additionally, the emphasis that ACE has on building our collaboration skills will help me as I continue to work with 50+ other talented, driven individuals to carry out the goals of the ambassador program.”

Thank you Issabelle and Jerica for all that you do for Santa Clara!