Becoming an Ambassador
Why?
After having such an amazing experience as an intern, I knew becoming an ambassador would be a great next step for me. Having the opportunity to share my experiences and inform incoming interns on how this program is so beneficial is important to me. Without the experience and skills I learned as an LHSI intern, I wouldn't be as prepared for my career path as I currently am. LHSI allowed me to greatly expand my professional network, and gain valuable skills (professionalism, communication, efficiency, etc.). I'm very enthusiastic to be a part of the LHSI team!
What I hope to...
Learn
As an ambassador, some things I would love to learn are:
how to maintain a healthy balance between classes, being an ambassador, working other jobs, and taking time to do things I enjoy
how to properly network with other student and campus organizations
Experience
Experiences I want as an ambassador include:
Getting to know the other ambassadors and developing meaningful relationships with them
Recruiting applicants and going to classes/meetings to explain why LHSI is so beneficial!
Collaborating with the LHSI team to further enhance the program for the interns
Growth
Some areas I have experienced growth in as an ambassador include:
Leadership
Networking
Community involvement
Throughout my time at IUPUI, I knew I wanted to get heavily involved with leadership and networking. Being an ambassador is a unique leadership position because not only am I leading and serving as a role model for interns, but I also assist with leading the new ambassadors. I love having the opportunity to utilize my leadership skills in these different areas. I'm passionate about becoming more involved within the IUPUI community and networking with the different organizations on campus. I have become more comfortable with networking across campus due to the recruitment efforts we make at LHSI. We work with student organizations, professors, and faculty to spread the word of LHSI to eligible students. I'm glad this is something I've gotten more comfortable with because as a physician, I will be networking with other healthcare professionals, patients, and families to provide treatment and participate in research. I have become more confident doing this the longer I have been working for LHSI. I'm beginning to experience growth in community involvement through my senior ambassador project with Dr. Marrs and Nyah Grice. Our goal is to make students aware of scholarship and work opportunities as soon as possible so that they have time to get their applications together before the deadlines. I'm excited to see our work leave a positive impact on IUPUI students looking for these types of opportunities!
Skills I've gained
Professional communication
How to network with other organizations
Student outreach
How to plan/host meetings for recruitment
Problem solving
Leadership
Critical thinking
Teamwork
Listening
As I head into my fourth semester of being an ambassador, it's amazing to see how many skills/strengths I have gained! I have become much more comfortable with putting myself out there and representing an organization. I am naturally a very anxious and quiet person, but this position has helped push me out of my comfort zone. Being able to work with the current interns, future applicants, and the rest of the LHSI team has helped immensely in building my leadership, listening, problem solving, and teamwork skills. I rarely do any task by myself at LHSI, so it is important to remain in constant communication with the rest of the team. This has helped greatly with increasing my teamwork and listening skills. These are skills that will be crucial in my future as a doctor. I'll always be working in a team, so being a good team member and having proficient communication skills will bring me a long way!
The LHSI Experience!
Before beginning my position as an LHSI ambassador, I was unsure of what to expect. However, looking back, I am so grateful for this opportunity! It has been an honor to build professional and personal relationships with Brandi and the rest of our team. I look forward to working with these ladies every day and collaborating with them to make LHSI the best version of itself!
Being able to work behind the scenes of everything LHSI has helped me gain a deeper appreciation of what I have been learning in my classes. I have never worked this closely with a faculty member before, so it has been interesting to see how much work and passion Brandi puts into this program. Although my professors and Brandi have different roles, some of their responsibilities overlap. After seeing how hard Brandi works to keep contact with the interns, other school organizations, and the internship supervisors, I appreciate how difficult it can be for my professors to juggle all the classes they teach, their students, and their research. I am grateful to have such amazing professors who put their all into teaching my classes even though they are balancing a lot of other things.
Before beginning this position, I thought that the majority of my contributions would include grading ePortfolios and participating in recruitment through tabling events. Although these are both tasks I am involved in, there are so many other things going on behind the scenes at LHSI that I participate in! I stay in close contact with the interns, help them whenever they need advice or assistance, help plan LHSI events, and participate in professional development activities with the rest of the team. I'm grateful that Brandi allows me and the other ambassadors to take on tasks that challenge us because that aids immensely in our growth as professionals. For example, I have been entrusted to help lead the LHSI winter workshops and plan/host the LHSI information sessions for potential applicants. These tasks can be stressful at times, but it is always a rewarding feeling when the work pays off. All of these experiences help me grow as an individual AND as a team member.