Mercyhurst Ambassadors are preparing for the annual pledge process here on campus this fall.

The Ambassadors are an organization here at Mercyhurst that provides training for several students who provide tours for potential Mercyhurst students, work several campus events and serve as the keepers of the Mercyhurst tradition.

Ambassadors at Mercyhurst work directly with the University’s Admissions to represent the school and the extensive history that the Sisters of Mercy have created for Mercyhurst. Ambassadors hold a crucial role on campus since they are one of the first people that interact with incoming and potential students at Mercyhurst University. The impression they give these students can make or break that student’s decision about coming to Mercyhurst or not, therefore Ambassadors are trained well on campus.

This year’s pledge process to become an Ambassador has already been in the works for the past few weeks that students have been on campus.

Senior Dance major, Libby Bullinger, and senior Early Childhood Education and Special Education major, Mary Claire Cousins, are the two current Ambassador Pledge Chairs. They oversee coordinating all the speakers that will come and present to the students interested in being an Ambassador to help teach them about the extensive history of Mercyhurst as well as future plans, and present events going on around campus.“We had three information sessions last week that provided students that were interested in becoming an Ambassador with information about how to be-come one,” said Bullinger.

Pledges spend most of the semester learning about Mercyhurst through the guest speakers that Bullinger and Cousins invite for the students. The semester for these future Ambassadors is quite extensive as they are preparing for a final exam, quizzes, a speech and finally a graded solo tour to be evaluated on their progress from their semester hard work. If the students excel with all the work that they put in during the semester, they are finally admitted into the Ambassador organization and officially receive their green jackets.

With the information they learn throughout the fall semester, the students who get their green jackets are finally able to give tours to students and lead different events around campus. You may remember your first campus visit and how important it was to have a cheerful, excited Ambassador to show you around campus and introduce you to all the amazing things that Mercyhurst offers.

Ambassadors have the responsibility of making sure that each student sees the most interesting and important things on campus that are specifically catered to them. Although the organization does not have a set number that they recruit each year, it usually is about twenty new Ambassadors per year. Ambassadors can continue their position for the rest of their time on campus after they receive their green jackets. The Ambassadors have been a beloved organization on campus for many years now.

With COVID-19, it is been exceptionally challenging to showcase the organization. Although, like all things that the pandemic has impacted, they have adapted. This year the organization is thrilled to be hosted another year of pledges and are excited about the remainder of the semester.

Becoming an Ambassador takes a lot of hard work and dedication, and it is not like joining other clubs on campus where you can just say that you are interested and join the club and not participate. Ambassadors represent Mercyhurst University and are held to a high standard around campus and have the duty to serve our Mercyhurst community.