Hokie Ambassadors Survive Another Busy Spring

Spring has not only brought warmer weather, but it has also brought thousands of prospective high school students to tour Virginia Tech’s campus.

This past weekend marked the end to the busiest two weeks for Virginia Tech’s student organization, Hokie Ambassadors.

“High school spring break is our busiest and most stressful time of the year,” said Phillip Hess, vice president of Hokie Ambassadors.

Between March 27 and April 10, more than 500 tours were given, with an average of approximately 600 people per day, said Hess. “About 65,000 people per year visit Tech’s campus. During these two weeks, just under half of the total per year comes to tour the campus.”

Hess said that in order to prepare for high school spring break, executive members of the organization “sent out several e-mails to the tour guides to let them know that they needed to sign up for as many tours as they could.”

Throughout each week, tour guides were also sent three to five different e-mails asking for their help to give tours, said Hess. “Executive members were on-call every day, just in case a guide couldn’t make a tour, or if we were short on numbers.”

The biggest change that was made in order to accommodate the large numbers of people was to the number of tours that were given on a daily basis. During the two weeks of high school spring break, Hokie Ambassadors gave six tours a day, Monday through Friday, and three tours on Saturday, Hess explained.

For a normal two-week period, there are only about 100 tours that are given, which is about three a day, Hess said.

With the thousands of people who visited Tech during these two weeks, parking on campus became a challenge. Several commuter parking spaces in the Prices Fork Lot were reserved for visitor parking only.

“Parking on campus is already difficult,” said Virginia Tech sophomore Katie Owens. “When an entire lot of spaces are taken away, it just adds to the problem and makes it even more difficult for commuter students to park.”

Aside from the parking issues on campus, most Virginia Tech students were welcoming of the visitors, said Hess.

“I love walking from class and seeing the tours walking around,” said Virginia Tech sophomore Susie Kemp. “I always try to show my Hokie spirit when I walk by.”

According to their website, Hokie Ambassadors were formerly known as the Recruiting Student Volunteer Program. It was founded during the spring semester of 1989 as an executive project of the Student Government Association. With the growth and evolution of their purpose, Hokie Ambassadors gradually assumed a more visible role within the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Today, the Hokie Ambassadors serve as an independent and volunteer, registered student organization with more than150 tour guides.

Hokie Ambassadors offers more to prospective students than their guidance counselors, and even more than their parents, said Hess. “We get students excited about coming to Tech. We are truly the embodiment of UT Prosim,” said Hess.

Ut Prosim, the university motto in Latin, means “that I may serve.”

“I think we are the most important organization on campus because with over 65,000 people who visit per year, we are the face of Virginia Tech,” said Hess. “Most of the students that visit the campus, decide to come to Tech based on their tour.”

“It’s amazing how many students point to their experience on a tour as the reason they chose Tech,” said Hokie Ambassador Ross Tudor. “We have to give them all the information they need to make an educated college decision.”

Although these past two weeks were stressful, Hokie Ambassadors received several letters from visitors, applauding the organization on their outstanding tour guides. “The enthusiasm my tour guide had in regards to the school, caused me to change my mind and attitude about attending Virginia Tech,” said prospective high school student Emma Smallings. “I have added it back to my list of colleges I would like to attend because of the welcoming atmosphere I felt as soon as I arrived on campus.”

The next large event for Hokie Ambassadors of the spring semester will be Hokie Focus on April 17 and 18, said Hess.

For more information on Hokie Ambassadors check out their website at http://www.ambassadors.admiss.vt.edu/.