The Upper School for Girls is introducing a new type of school ambassadors for college representatives. The Higher Education Representatives will start their program next year and will be greeting and engaging with the college representatives that visit Annie Wright Schools.

These ambassadors will greet college representatives at the front of the school and go through standard proceedings that include gifting the college representatives a book from a selection of choices by faculty members.They will ask a set of questions to the college representatives that will be useful for compiling information for the counseling team. According to Scottie Hill, director of college counseling, this program will also be helpful because it leaves more time for Jeff Freshwater, associate director of college counseling, and herself to have meetings with students.

According to Freshwater, about 80 to 100 college representatives visit Annie Wright Schools every year. “It’s (Higher Education Representatives Program) going to impress people that visit us. To see the caliber student, to have that interaction will leave them wanting more. That is something that is going to be amazing dividends.” Hill agrees with this, “if it’s done well it helps every Annie Wright applicant,” she said.

During the preliminary meeting, potential representatives expressed why they are interested in joining the Higher Education Representatives. Many students felt that having this experience will help them practice talking to people in a more professional setting. “I hadn’t even thought about the idea that students want help and experience having professional conversations. If that’s a skillset we can provide that dovetails with what we do, everybody wins,” said Hill.

Freshwater also commented on how this program will benefit member students. “You get the practical wisdom about what schools are out there and what it takes for a certain institution,” he said. “I think there are some assumptions and presuppositions that are made about certain institutions that excludes somebody from considering it. Actually getting to talk to people and getting a run down of their program is building an excitement on the student level which is really exciting a well.”

Higher Education Representatives will begin their program next year after decisions are finalized. Hill and Freshwater will devise a training curriculum that the potential representatives will go through before their first meeting.