I’m Ellie, and I’m in my final year studying French and Religious Studies. I’ve been an Outreach Tutor since the start of 2nd year (so October-ish 2018), but had a year out last year whilst I was abroad. I applied for the role because I worked the summer core team at the end of my first year and seeing the range of Ambassador talks available and getting stuck in during those four weeks, I really wanted to do more within the Scheme! I also remember the lovely Roxanne answered my many questions about the application which was a big help.
I remember Roxanne helping me with the initial application and after my successful interview, meetings were put in place with other members of the PDO to help me. I found the co-delivery really helpful at the start, so I wasn’t in front of a class on my own straight away! I felt supported and got some great feedback and criticisms from different members of staff which was fab.
Obviously, in normal times as an Outreach Tutor, I loved standing in front of the classroom. But even now I love some sessions I have done online and just love the amount of questions we get from a group of interested students! I also love sharing experiences and allowing the Supporting Ambassadors to do the same.
The only tip I have would be to APPLY. I really wasn’t sure if I could do it, but you get so much support from the PDO and your confidence will grow so much. Also, if you’re worried about all the mysterious world of online, we now co-deliver sessions which are SO much better and mean you are not alone, can banter with someone else if there’s no student interaction, and don’t have to worry if your WIFI is as bad as mine because there’s another Tutor there to support you if things go wrong.
I also hold the Lead Ambassador role but because I had a year out last year I haven’t done much Lead stuff recently. But being a Lead Ambassador is rewarding because you get to oversee an event, so it feels great when it has gone well. You also attend forums to report back to staff members about concerns and questions from an ambassador level. This is really important because you realise Ambassadors can have a lot of impact in the department and that their voices are heard.
If you have any questions or want to chat more, I’m happy for you to drop me a message on the Ambassador Facebook page or come to our coffee break and ask us there!!