Q&A: Making the Most Out of Saturday@Sam with SAMbassador Samantha

Q&A: Making the Most Out of Saturday@Sam with SAMbassador Samantha

Sam Houston State University’s biannual campus preview day, Saturday@Sam opens up the campus to any and all prospective students looking for a taste of what they can expect from the Bearkat experience.

Among the many people from across the university who help host the event are the SAMbassadors, a group of students working with SHSU’s recruitment team to host campus visits, assist with orientation when needed and engage with prospective students at recruitment events such as Saturday@Sam. Samantha Martinez, a junior studying pre-veterinary animal science, became a SAMbassador after learning about the student employment opportunity through the Smith-Hutson Scholar’s Program.

The following Q&A relays her experience of first engaging with the university through Saturday@Sam and her tips on how to make the most of the weekend experience.

What is a SAMbassador and why did you want to become one?

SAMbassadors are a bridge between the university and our prospective students, and I thought it was really cool. I didn't realize that I already knew what it was because I came with my brother for his campus visit and I thought it'd be really cool. I know for me I was definitely like a really anxious student in high school. And so if you can kind of take away some of that anxiety before they get here. That's something I definitely wanted to be a part of. Now that I'm working here, I'm just so glad because there are so many opportunities that have come with the job and I just really enjoy the university.

How do you approach your role as a SAMbassador?

We have this saying in our office that lives in my head rent-free when I work: PVC, Every Person, Every Visit, Every Call. It reminds us that even though it may be your 100th time answering a question during an event day, it's that student's first time asking it. It’s about understanding that college, for a lot of students, is a foreign concept, this new territory and it can be really nerve-wracking. So we focus on making that process a little easier by answering their questions, giving them grace and just being someone they can relate to, especially since I'm not much older than a lot of our prospective students.

What is your favorite part of being a SAMbassador?

Every once in a while, I'll get some students that end up coming to the university who find my email and shoot me an email saying, “Thank you so much for your tour, you really helped me find the community and feel really confident in answering questions.” And those really warm my heart because sometimes I'm tired, it's really hot outside and I might think, oh, well, let me just go on tour today. But for these students, it's their first exposure to the university, so carrying positive energy while we're on tour makes a big difference for them. Whenever I get those responses from the students, or if their parents come to me at the end and say, “Thank you so much, you were so helpful,” it makes it all worth it.

How did your experience during your first Saturday@Sam impact your perception of the university?

I attended Saturday@Sam my senior year of high school. That was my first time being on campus as a student who was planning to go there, because every time I'd been on campus before, it was for my brother or for some contest. I didn't plan to go to Sam, so being on campus for the first time as a prospective student, it was so much fun. I loved getting to tour the campus and find out where things were. Going to the overview sessions and hearing more about the program I was joining, meeting the professors and sitting down with some of the students and asking them questions helped ease my nerves a lot more. Then, getting to see the residence halls was really nice because I could start planning out how I wanted my dorm. And once I had my first day of class, I felt a lot better about it because I felt like I was already prepared and it was something familiar now.

What was your favorite part of Saturday@Sam when you first attended?

I really enjoyed the overview sessions because the student panel that we had in there included the ag ambassadors answering questions. I feel like it's one thing to hear from professors and the dean, but it's a completely different experience when you're talking to students. I feel like they're able to give you a more honest response as to what their experience was like. It doesn't feel as scripted or as performative because they were in your shoes not too long ago.

What is your favorite part of the event now that you are a SAMbassador?

I think now that I've gotten to work Saturday@Sam, my favorite part is check-in and dismissal. Even though there are hundreds of students, you still get to see some of them as they check in and as they leave. You can see how excited they are when they're leaving versus when they first get there because they're a little unsure in the morning, it's pretty early and they're tired. But I feel like as the day goes on and they get to speak to everyone and see the campus, they definitely look a lot more hopeful and excited. It's a really cool thing to see and you get to see them come out of their shell.

Why do you think it is beneficial to come to campus for Saturday@Sam?

I think it's really important. I feel like besides coming for orientation once you're accepted or if you've been on a regular campus visit, you don't get all your questions answered. You can always call and email, but it's different to be there in person and not feel like you're bothering anyone or anything like that because that's why everyone's there, to answer questions. It helps you be a lot more prepared for your time, because even if you didn't realize it, you are better set up for the application process, applying for residence halls and learning about more scholarships that we offer.

Will you be leading tours during Saturday@Sam?

In the morning, I'll be helping with check-in, then I'll be giving bilingual tours. After the morning, I believe I'll be on the shuttle bus, helping people get to our different residence halls for this Saturday@Sam, trying to hype them up and keep their energy up as the day goes on.

What do you hope people take away from attending Saturday@Sam?

I hope that they feel more prepared, have all of their questions answered and that they're just a lot more excited about college. College is really nerve-wracking and it's really easy to get caught up in how new it is, so it's really easy to forget how exciting it is, too. So I hope that they walk away feeling excited for it and to hopefully attend the school one day.

Do you have any tips or tricks for making the most out of the Saturday@Sam experience?

Definitely be open to talking to everybody. Be open to going on all the little tours that we offer. You're going to get what you put into the day. You'll be able to take away just as much as you're willing to. There are so many opportunities, so talk to all the different departments and get to know some of the different student orgs. That way, you have some familiarity when you do choose to come to the university. And definitely take all the free merch that they offer.