Zak is a first year Outreach Ambassador and first year undergraduate Accounting and Finance student at the University of Kent, Canterbury campus.
Becoming a stipend ambassador for the University stemmed from witnessing the Outreach Team’s extensive involvement with my former secondary school and the University of Kent’s sponsored school, Brompton Academy. Prime examples of this are; the da Vinci Days, Stepping Up and Academic Mentoring. Being encouraged to engage in these activities by the University meant that becoming an ambassador was an ideal role, which I knew I would enjoy, throughout my studies. Since becoming an ambassador the jobs the Outreach Team have organised have provided me with transferable skills that have not only enhanced my approach to my role as an ambassador but also in my work as a student.
An activity which initially stood out to me is Stepping Up, the premise of which involves working with students who are interested in applying to university. For me Stepping Up is an activity that bears the hallmarks of an ambassador who is actively seeking to improve their public speaking skills. I believe the development of this skill is vital for all walks of life. It enables you to boost your confidence but also develop your public speaking skills. This will also improve your ability to be more comfortable and relaxed in situations you may not always be comfortable in. I feel this is important because it can often be the case that the thought of public speaking can make people uneasy. I remember how nervous and awkward I could get during my early years of secondary school. However, through working on Stepping Up I have developed my ability to speak to a small audience. Not only has this improved my public speaking skills, but also my communication skills generally and given me an interest in public speaking. Furthermore, simply being an ambassador has broadened my perspective on the world and improved my ability to work in a team collaboratively. This is another skill that I highly advocate as it allows you to be more malleable to a variety of situations with different people who may or may not share the same views as you.
Activities such as these, developed by the Outreach Team, have also aided me through my studies at University. The use of my public speaking skills was vital during a 25 minute presentation I conducted alongside other group members. I took this as an opportunity to use my newfound public speaking skills and aid my other group members, as they expressed their discomfort with public speaking. Therefore, not only was I developing my communication skills, I was also working collaboratively with my peers to a specific end goal. This task may have appeared a lot more overwhelming had it not been for the work I have completed this year as a stipend ambassador within secondary schools in Kent.
Overall, my experience of being a student ambassador at the University has been positive. It has enabled to me to learn more about myself and make improvements. Therefore, being a student ambassador is a scheme that I would actively encourage students to sign up to. It is a scheme that is highly rewarding and important for the development of your own abilities but also to raise aspirations of young people throughout Kent and Medway.