For Student Alumni Ambassadors, financial support is just the beginning
By Caley Henderson, MFA '23
“People say, ‘Go network,’ but what does that really mean?” asked Sara Mielish, ’27. She’s not alone in her confusion. Many students see networking as a mysterious and daunting process to be navigated only when necessary. The Student Alumni Ambassador program offers an alternative: a way to learn by doing.
Over a one-year term, student ambassadors attend events, connect with alumni and join OSU Foundation and Alumni Association board meetings. The position includes a scholarship, but current participants agree that the financial support is just the beginning. Acting as ambassadors helps them feel more connected to the greater OSU community, and offers skill building opportunities in leadership, communication and, yes, networking.
Mielish chose OSU for its experiential learning opportunities. Back then, she pictured engaging in scientific research, but participating in the ambassador program has been an unexpected hands-on learning experience.
As an aspiring sea floor mapper, Mielish gets especially excited when she connects with marine biology alumni in her ambassador role. She’s found value and joy in chatting with folks beyond her dream field, too. “I’ve gained confidence in myself,” she said, “in my ability to do my own version of networking and connecting with people.”
Isaiah Fernandez, ’26, is a first-generation student who used to wake up before dawn to bike from Albany to Corvallis for class. He lost both of his parents by the time he had graduated from high school and living in Albany was the only way he could stay close to his two younger siblings.
He said he felt both intimidated and grateful walking into the OSU President’s Dinner to serve as a student ambassador. Through the process of swapping stories with people at his table, he settled into the moment and realized, “OK, I’m here for a reason.”
Fernandez now recommends the ambassador program to other students who have had to overcome obstacles to access a college education. “It gives you a sense of belonging at OSU,” he said. “It helped me see how many people really care about the students. They love OSU. I get it now.”
As a soon-to-be-graduating senior, Bella Larsen, ’26, already loves OSU so much she’s “honestly devastated to be leaving.” Moving away from her community here feels tough, even if she knows her lifelong friendships will endure. The anxiety of building a career after graduation doesn’t help – especially since networking has not always come naturally to her. Going up to someone and introducing herself felt inauthentic, said Larsen. As an ambassador, she’s put in lots of practice: meeting alumni across disciplines, chatting with President Jayathi Murthy, even comparing notes with an alumna who lived in the same sorority house in the ’70s. Now, she sees networking as “just getting to know people and finding those natural similarities and connections.”
Her time as an ambassador has offered another gift: “It’s nice to see that your college experience doesn’t end once you get your diploma – it just looks different.”
Stay connected to the Oregon State community and support Student Alumni Ambassadors by joining the OSU Alumni Association.