Imagine stepping into GlenOak High School for the first time. Most students come to GlenOak from Oakwood. While the building is new, they see many familiar faces that can help them acclimate to the new environment. But for 200 students each year who are new to the high school, this is not just an introduction to a new building, but to an entirely new community.
The Student Ambassadors program was founded to help students who are new to the school district find their way in a new environment. Counselor Theresa Rhoads founded the program to help new students get used to the building and form connections with peers.
“It’s one thing for an adult to help these new students come in, but then it’s a whole other layer when it’s a peer that they can go to and that’s just a different dynamic,” Rhoads said.
Building a network of people you can trust and rely on is an important part of succeeding in high school. Due to the sheer size of GlenOak, it can be hard to know where to start.
“There are 2,000 kids in our school, you get lost in the crowd, and [the student ambassadors] kind of make them feel welcomed,” student ambassador and junior Maddy Harvey said.
According to Rhoads, there are anywhere from 200 to 250 new students every year (transferring from private schools, other public school districts or homeschooling) and more than 70 current student ambassadors. Some ambassadors are paired with a specific student, and they help that student throughout the year by introducing them to other people and answering any questions the student may have.
“I think it’s really great for our students to be able to participate in something here at school that doesn’t require a whole lot of after-school time and doesn’t require transportation to and from extracurricular stuff,” Susanne Davis, who helps run the program, said.
Every time there is a new student, Rhoads helps coordinate a tour of the school for them with an ambassador. Ambassadors can use this opportunity to earn service hours and to support students coming into the school.
“I feel like it’s a safe space for people to go along and have good connections and meaningful connections that could last not just for the year, but potentially across high school as well,” senior and student ambassador Shishir Tallada said.
Student Ambassador applications are posted on Google Classroom in April or May of every school year. Any student who will be in 10th, 11th, or 12th grade for the following school year is encouraged to apply.new
