Victoria Silman | Assistant News Editor
Feature Image: The students will represent York by sharing their experiences to other students, faculty, staff, and alumni. | Courtesy of YFile
York has announced the designation of President’s Ambassadors to 23 students, all of whom will represent the university, and attend various functions throughout the year. Their intention is to share their experiences at the school with other staff, students, faculty, and alumni.
The announcement was made on November 11; however, the students were informed of their appointments in September.
In a statement released by York, President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton mentions her excitement for the program. “I am delighted to congratulate and welcome this dynamic group of engaged student leaders who are passionate about York University into these new roles,” she said.
Fernanda Sierra-Suárez, a third-year culture and expression and environmental studies student, was one of the students selected as an ambassador. According to her, the program has two intended purposes.
“The first one is to attend a certain number of events per month as a President’s Ambassador, where our role can range from being a greeter to a guest panelist/speaker,” she says. “The program is also designed to encourage initiative.”
“The second part of the program is meeting with President Lenton,” she adds.
According to Bailey Francis, a fourth-year criminology student—and another one of the selected students—the program entails attendance to various events throughout the year.
“As a President’s Ambassador, we represent the President’s office at events both on and off campus. This includes events such alumni events, fall campus day, and Red and White day. We also meet with President Lenton twice per semester to discuss the on-goings at York,” she says.
Regarding meeting with President Lenton, Aly Fawzy, a third-year kinesiology student, also explains: “I am mostly looking forward to meeting with President Lenton. Having the pleasure of speaking with her about various issues is something I don’t take lightly. I think it’s a great opportunity to voice the student perspective directly to the university president.”
Furthermore, the students have already attended many functions. As Sierra-Suárez explains: “There is a wide, and diverse range of events that are part of the program, so generally, we get to choose which events to attend, depending on the spaces available.
“Most recently, I participated in my favourite event so far: the ‘Glendon Global Debate: Is the UN still relevant?’ where the guests ranged from previous UN officers, to Canadian ambassadors, and even the Lieutenant Governor,” she continues.
One of the biggest perks of the program, as Fawzy further elaborates, is the prospects for networking. “I get to network with York alumni, meet new people, and share my student experiences. At some events I also get to make the opening and closing remarks, which is always great,” he explains.
For first-year students interested in applying to be a part of the program for the 2018-2019 year, applications are now being accepted. All applications are due December 3.
