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Southern to select students as seminary ambassadors
February 23, 2004
By Bryan Cribb
Each year Southern Seminary selects several students to serve as ambassadors for Southern Baptists’ flagship institution.
Established in August 1994, the ambassador program offers students an opportunity to enhance and establish positive relationships between Southern and new students, prospective students, donors, alumni and the community.
Currently, 14 Southern students serve through the seminary ambassador program, representing the institution through the offices of Student Services, Institutional Relations and Admissions.
With Student Services, ambassadors welcome new students during fall and spring orientations and assist with other student activities.
For Institutional Relations, each ambassador calls seminary supporters to show appreciation for past donations and to encourage continued support in the future.
With Admissions, ambassadors play a major role in student recruitment. Through hundreds of calls to prospective students, traveling on various recruiting trips throughout the United States and almost 300 campus tours, ambassadors give a “personal touch” that is indispensable to the admissions process, said Scott Davis, director of admissions. In addition, ambassadors assist in several important recruiting events such as Preview Conferences and the Give Me An Answer Collegiate Conference.
“Every contact that we make with prospective students builds relationships and provides opportunities to share with them about the finest evangelical seminary in the world,” Davis said.
Ambassadors also give prospective students a student’s perspective.
“Ambassadors make visitors feel at home on Southern’s campus,” said Daryl Pepper, president of Southern Seminary’s ambassadors.
In addition to assisting the various offices on campus, seminary ambassadors also work closely with the administration.
“Serving as an ambassador is the best way for a student to get to know the seminary and the best way to serve the seminary,” said Doug Walker, senior vice president for Institutional Relations. “You develop a much closer working relationship with the administration.”
This intimacy with the school gives the student a “deep appreciation for our great, historic institution, as well as a heightened sense of what God is doing here,” Davis said.
Ambassadors must possess several essential qualities, Pepper said.
“The most important quality is a serĐvant’s heart,” Pepper said. “An ambassador must love Southern Seminary and must be willing to serve others with a joyful heart.”
Ambassadors are also required to be full-time students and live within 30 miles of campus.
Though Southern’s ambassadors are compensated in many intangible ways for their average work week of five hours, the seminary gives each member a $750 per semester stipend.
Southern students interested in becoming an ambassador for the 2 academic year should contact Institutional Relations (Guest House) for an application. The deadline for applying is 4 p.m., March 5.
Prospective Southern ambassadors should also attend an ambassador program information meeting March 3, 10 a.m., in Norton 102. All applicants are encouraged to attend.
For more information prior to the overview, contact Clark Logan, x4143, in Institutional Relations.
Ambassador interviews will be held March 22-26 for Southern students.
Note that this information does not apply to Boyce ambassadors. Prospective ambassadors for Boyce College should contact Ed Stucky in Admissions, x4617. See page 6 for more information.
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