Bridging the Gap: Using Mentorship to Support Student Ambassador Training

Student ambassadors are frequently asked to engage guests by sharing their personal university experiences while still adhering to a structured tour narrative. While many new hires understand the information presented in training, they can be hesitant to progress confidently into live tour environments. The transition between being hired and becoming tour-ready can become informal when students are unsure when, and how, to take the next steps. This session explores a structured mentorship model embedded within the training process to support student ambassadors through this transition. Mentorship is used to guide new hires through training expectations, reinforce how content shows up on tour, and build confidence through intentional reflection and support. Interns help standardize readiness indicators, while mentors and mentees engage in guided learning that encourages progression without overwhelming students. Participants will leave with a scalable framework for using mentorship as a training tool, along with practical strategies that can be adapted to support student engagement, readiness, and consistency across a variety of program sizes and staffing models.