Arts Ambassadors create welcoming environment for all A&A students

Students at A&A Spring Gala

The Arts Ambassadors, a college-funded, student-led program within the College of Arts and Architecture, welcomes students with open arms while teaching them valuable life lessons.

Originally created in 2016, the Arts Ambassadors are a group of student volunteers who want to make the college a better place for current students and welcome in new and prospective students.

Fourth-year architecture major Jeremy Lynn, president of the Arts Ambassadors, describes it as “a group of talented and diverse individuals across Arts and Architecture who want to diversify the field they’re in and create a better student environment.”

Lynn joined the program in search of community beyond the reaches of his major.

“I also wanted to become a leader within the college and be a voice for other students who don’t necessarily have a voice to speak up and speak out about what they want to see within the college,” Lynn said. “And now that I’m an Arts Ambassador, the fact that I get to go out and really be a voice for the college … is really great.”

As an ambassador, students’ tasks include anything from being “early welcome” leaders during student move-in to acting as tour guides for accepted students to providing a place for students to belong within such a large university.

Robin Bierly, director of student engagement for the college, is the faculty adviser for the Arts Ambassadors.

“Everything the students do stems from their love for the college,” Bierly said.

Students have the opportunity to be as involved as they want, from simply participating in one event to attending every meeting.

“If you need a place to belong, come to the Arts Ambassadors!” Bierly said.

Something unique the Arts Ambassadors does is provide a mentorship program for students, called the Order of the Golden Dragon.

“So essentially the Order is like a mentoring program,” Lynn said. “Once you finish early welcome, you’re a Golden Koi. It’s like a koi fish, symbolizing swimming over the waterfall to transition to college. And then you can continue, if you want, to become a Golden Dragon.”

This program gives students someone to help them during their transition to college.

As a senior, Lynn reflects fondly on his time as an Arts Ambassador, noting he has particularly enjoyed serving as a mentor.

“Being an Arts Ambassador has helped me as a leader. It’s given me a set of skills that I don’t think I would have gotten with any other organization,” Lynn said. “It’s really cool and something I’ll definitely take with me as I enter the workforce.”

For more information, follow the Arts Ambassadors on Instagram: @psuartsamb.