Centralight

21 centralight winter'14 + Spencer Long, '08, '10 MA, had plenty to talk about as he staff ed the CMU table at a fi ne arts college fair in Chicago. An active and passionate alumnus, Long told Chicago students about the personal connections he made with professors and the close-knit atmosphere on campus. "I love talking to students and watching them decide that CMU is a contender," says Long, who works in campus housing at the University of Illinois-Chicago. As a CMU student, Long belonged to Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and was involved in Leadership Safari. "I told them CMU is not just a four-year experience," Long says. "It's a lifelong friend." + Melica Hampton, '11, had a great time hosting the CMU table at the Passaic County College Fair in New Jersey. "It's a way I can give back to my community and give back to CMU," says Hampton, a work readiness instructor at Goodwill Industries. She answered plenty of student questions about course off erings, scholarship opportunities and Greek life. And she says she never ran out of good things to say about CMU. "The classes are small; the instructors know who you are," she says. "I love helping get CMU's name out there." + Sara Hubbard, '99, led tours of CMU as a campus ambassador during her years at Central, so her new role as an admissions alumni ambassador is a natural extension of that, she says. "I had a great experience at Central and I want to pass that on," says Hubbard, who was a resident assistant at Emmons Hall and a member of the Sigma Kappa sorority. Hubbard, who cares for her young children at home, recently staff ed a CMU information table at a college fair in Indianapolis. She answered questions about fi nancial aid and happily told Indiana students if they maintain a 2.75 grade-point average at Central, they'll pay in-state tuition. "I think it says a lot about the university that its alumni are willing to volunteer their time to tell prospective students about CMU," Hubbard says. "This is a great idea." Central alumni love to harken back and share everything good about their college days in Mount Pleasant. "Those were the best years of my life," they say. "I made lifelong friends." "I absolutely love CMU." Now the Admissions Offi ce is deputizing passionate alumni willing to use those golden (and maroon) memories to help recruit the next generation of Chippewas. They're called Admissions Alumni Ambassadors, and they represent CMU in their communities all over the country at college fairs, receptions and other events for new and prospective students. "Our alumni are some of the best recruiters CMU has," says Amy Hauenstein, associate director of admissions, out-of-state recruitment and alumni engagement. "They're out there, all over the place, more than 210,000 of them. "When they relate their CMU experiences to others, it only helps us." As the number of high school seniors in Michigan declines, CMU is looking to other states for prospective students. That's where the alumni ambassadors come in. So far, 17 alumni are participating from Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., Texas and New York. Admissions Alumni Ambassadors share their passion for CMU with students in search of a school Meet the Ambassadors Hauenstein still needs ambassadors in Dallas, Southern California, Florida and the East Coast. "We're looking for alumni who are enthusiastic about sharing their CMU experiences with prospective students and their parents," she says. Visit cmich.edu/alumni/engage/ admissions for an application. If you're approved, you'll receive an information packet and be directed to a 30-minute online training video that explains the responsibilities, from how to set up a CMU information table to answering frequently asked questions. Ambassadors will be asked to visit three or four college fairs each year in their region, Hauenstein says. Her hope eventually is to broaden the program and have ambassadors write personal notes to newly admitted students and make welcome phone calls. "High school students relate to successful young alumni standing behind the CMU table," says Annie Sanders, associate director of alumni relations. "Having alumni there puts more of a personal spin on things. They can speak from experience about residence hall life and what Mount Pleasant is like." It's great for alumni, too, she says. "Maybe you're passionate about CMU but you lost touch. Maybe you can't give a fi nancial commitment right now, but you can give time," Sanders says. "It's a great way to reconnect."

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