Study Abroad Ambassador
Picture of Study Abroad Ambassadors promoting TRU’s Open House (left to right): Paula, Brooke, Emma, myself, and Calder. Published October 17, 2024 on the trustudyabroad Instagram account.
Promotional video for episode 2 of Study Abroad Chats, created by Brooke. Published March 10, 2025 on the trustudyabroad Instagram account.
Picture of myself and Brooke on episode 2 of Study Abroad Chats. Published March 11, 2025 on the trustudyabroad Instagram account.
Upon returning from my international travels, I began giving back as a Study Abroad Ambassador at TRU. My duties included:
- Promoting the Study Abroad programs
- Working with other faculty to develop and distribute marketing materials
- Spread information regarding Study Abroad programs
- Interact with incoming and outgoing exchange students
- Evaluate existing programs
Over the Fall 2024 and Winter 2025 semesters I performed these duties to the best of my abilities. With the support of my fellow ambassadors, we hosted information desks at various TRU events and throughout the year in Old Main. Furthermore, we hosted our own events including a Poutine Night, where we served food, shared our own experiences studying abroad, and answered student questions. Besides these events where students were encouraged to attend, we also performed class visits. Here, we would schedule a quick presentation at the start of a lower level lecture and share basic study abroad material. I was keen to perform these visits as it was a great opportunity to have conversations with students who are in the best position to take advantage of the Study Abroad program.
Beyond the in-person efforts, our team also spread information virtually. Seen above, my experiences were featured in several social media posts. This effort has been very rewarding as I foresee students for years to come reflecting on the work done here. Our legacy project came in the form of the podcast style interviews, which were a great opportunity to reminisce on my own memories, while encouraging others to make their own.
The final memorable efforts were the one-on-one meetings with students in many points of their own Study Abroad journey. Some were just considering the program, while others had already booked their flights. Regardless, within each of these conversations, I can say certainly that I had useful information to offer and soothing advice to give. For myself, pre-departure arrangements were very stressful to organize. There were aspects I wish I had considered more thoroughly such as bank accounts and there were steps I had not considered at all such as phone plans. These meetings were my opportunity to spare others from similar troubles – troubles which I wish someone had saved me from.
All together being a Study Abroad Ambassador meant a lot to me and to the others I shared the role with. United, we improved others’ experiences and gave back to the university which has given us so much. The role allowed me to apply many themes of global competency into a project I was passionate about. Communication, empathy, open-mindedness, cultural sensitivity, curiosity, adaptability, knowledge of international topics, respect, and other skills all contributed to me being an effective Study Abroad Ambassador.