New ambassadors help school recruit, mentor students

The inaugural group of School of Pharmacy Ambassadors include (back row, l-r) LaNaesha Cox, Kori Daniels, Lillie Floyd, Mackenzie Lewis, Marisa Pasquale, Rachel Strait, Ashley Wellen, Laura Brooke Carter, Logan Ramsey; (front row, l-r) Andrew Smelser, Katherine Baggett, Rachel Jenkins, Adira Luk, Colleen Riley, Grace Pickle, Tia Collier, Amber Grady and Rachel Strait (not pictured).

ndrew Smelser has a passion for helping students succeed.

"It's a really great experience to see students enjoy Ole Miss and really thrive in our program, especially those that you help to recruit," said Smelser, who is enrolled in the third year of the University of Mississippi's early entry pharmacy program.

Smelser is one of 18 students in the inaugural group of School of Pharmacy Ambassadors, who help the school recruit prospective students.

"The ambassadors have been a huge asset to our recruitment program," said Chelsea Bennett, the school's assistant dean of student services. "We've been able to reach even more prospective pharmacy students this year because of their help. We are receiving great feedback from prospective students, who love to hear what the School of Pharmacy is like from the vantage point of a current student."

The 18 student ambassadors, who work on a voluntary basis, are assisting with university recruitment days, local high school college fairs and welcoming prospective students and their families.

"I've attended a few of the career fairs and talked to students who were interested in the program," said Rachel Jenkins, an ambassador enrolled in the second year of the early entry pharmacy program. "I feel like it's really helpful for prospective students to have someone who is already in the program show them the ropes."

The ambassadors mentor students who are interested in the early entry program, which enables select high school seniors to be admitted to pharmacy school immediately upon entering the university.

"Coming in as a senior in high school, I felt really unprepared," Smelser said. "It would have been great to have a mentor who was older than me and already in the program. That's the main reason why I wanted to help out as an ambassador."

The ambassadors, Bennett said, "are a very dedicated group, often voluntarily giving up weekends to help with recruitment events. It shows how dedicated they are to this program and how focused they are on doing what they can to help future students succeed."