March 13, 2019

Members of Mizzou Engineering Ambassadors, such as Leah Albietz, handle tours for prospective students and their families, welcome alumni returning to the College for a visit, attend many student recruitment events and fairs and much more.

If you’ve ever taken a tour of Mizzou Engineering or happened by one in action, you’re familiar with their faces. These energetic engineers are all too happy to show people around and share their love for their College.

The Mizzou Engineering Ambassadors are, in a manner of speaking, the College’s student face. This group handles tours for prospective students and their families, welcomes alumni returning to the College for a visit, attends many student recruitment events and fairs, and has several additional public-facing duties.

“It’s really cool for me because I remember coming in as a senior in high school and getting a tour from the Ambassadors,” Ambassadors President Katherine Baker said. “Then I joined myself at the end of my freshman year.

“That’s why I really love it, because I get to connect with the students individually,” Mizzou Engineering Ambassadors President Katherine Baker explained.

“You get to meet a lot of cool people. I got to give a tour to both an 11-year-old genius and one of the founders of Panda Express [MU Engineering alumna Peggy Cherng].”

The Ambassadors are one of more than 50 Mizzou Engineering-sponsored student organizations. Ambassadors are chosen through a thorough application and interview process. Like many orgs, the group helps prepare students to lead — in this case, by helping them grow their organizational, interpersonal and communications skills.

“It’s a smaller group now compared to a few years ago. It’s a lot more responsibility, but it’s a closer-knit group,” Baker explained. “On top of tours, we do office hours and write letters to people who came to visit. There are out-of-town recruiting trips, too.”

For Baker, the most enjoyable part of being a Mizzou Engineering Ambassador is helping potential students get the answers they need to make a quality, informed college decision.

“That’s why I really love it, because I get to connect with the students individually,” she explained. “Sometimes students are nervous to ask questions. But when they’re talking to someone who recently went through what they’re going through in the college-selection process, they’re more likely to ask honest questions.”

Alumni and friends of the College have the opportunity to support organizations such as the Ambassadors on Giving Day through the Student Org Challenge. Organizations are competing for the most total donors and the most money raised, with additional funding from the College going to support the winners.