I got to thinking about funny things that happened over the course of my 6 years as an Admission Counselor at my alma mater. There were many funny stories, and I would love to tell all of them, but for obvious reasons I can't because A.) people are sensitive and probably not ready for my observations on their stupidity. B.) I would like to always be welcomed back to that campus and not banned because I decided to tell the world (or my 14 followers) about how on occasion they would do things ass backwards. It's funny how when you are no longer a student on that campus, but employed by them that you really see how decisions are made...and one of the BEST decisions our Vice President for Admission ever made was to put Aubrey and I in charge of the student ambassador program.
Now just a refresher on who Aubs (or Aubz, as she prefers, because she thinks it's more urban) is: She is the Visit Coordinator in the campus Admission Office. She set up all visits individually for each student and his or her family that would be planning a trip to campus. If it was just a tour and meeting with an Admission Counselor (like yours truly) she would set that up...or for the anal retentive student that wanted: a tour, lunch on campus, meet with a student in his or her future major, (which was probably pre-med because everyone thinks they're going to be a doctor when they're 18, until the realize they're really not that smart. Easy, don't hate on me because I saw it a million times over the course of my time there: "I can't wait to be a doctor!...Hey, wait...these labs are really hard and this major is based in science??") sit in on a class, meet a coach, and then stay over night with a current student...she would set up all of that. Her multi tasking skills are beyond amazing. Slowly more and more got added to her plate and they were going to add the ambassador program to her growing list of things to do. As a former student ambassador, I remembered how amazing the program was when I was a freshman/sophomore in college, and then what a disaster it turned into when someone new took it over. So in passing to our VP one day I suggested that I could co-direct the ambassador program with Aubrey. He had no problems with that...and that's when that program got a face lift, like none other.
So, you've got me: Loud, politically incorrect, bossy, and a bit of a perfectionist..mixed with Aubs: Hottie with body, no filter, politically incorrect, go with the flow...You can see how this is both a perfect and crazy combination. Or how we ended up playing out the dynamic duo: good cop/bad cop. Aubs was the good cop, and I played the bad cop because I had no problem telling our ambassadors when they screwed up and needed to start acting like decent human beings. The first thing on the agenda was to completely revamp the hiring/training process. We built this from the ground up, interviewing students (which was a shit show in itself, and I'm pretty sure is like no interview that student will never have again.) before the school year was out for returning students, and at freshman orientation for new students. They would walk into the room all serious and nervous about wanting to get a job with the Admission office, and there Aubrey and I would be. Initially it started out semi serious, but by interiew #40, Aubrey was introducing herself as...Herself... and me as "Megan, but she goes by Banana Hammock." So if the students could show they had a sense of humor, and that they had a work ethic..or at least attempted to have a work ethic, we were going to hire them. We needed numbers in the program for tours, over night hosts, and tons of other little events our office would put on. That first fall we had about 70 student ambassadors we were in charge of. The program grew over the years and by the time I left we had about 85 students in the program that we were in charge of. This also meant, these 18-22 year olds were looking to Aubrey and I for advice not only in the program, but would come to us when break ups would happen, fights with roomies would transpire, and overall college gossip that we needed to be in the know about.
Now, looking back on this, I wonder if we were the right people for this job. The 2 of us were, trying to keep the training/program as interactive as possible, and have some kind of control. Because young adults, can smell fear. Let me tell you, that first day of training every August, Aubrey and I were scared shitless. There were many more of them, and only 2 of us, and without fail, trying to get a room of nearly 80, out going students to listen to you, is like trying to silence a mosh pit at a Marilyn Manson concert. So we did what any leader would do, we wrote a rap about the ambassador program, and found ways to make fun of ourselves before the students could do it. This helped for a number of reasons: 1.) Aubrey and I were able to relax a bit with laughter first thing on day 1. 2.) It made the students see that we were approachable. 3.) It started training off with a bang and showed the kids it was going to be fun...and 4.) Show them that these 2 are lunatics, may be older than they were, but still had the mental capacity of 18-22 year olds. By day 3 I was usually tired of trying to silence everyone and they were all wearing on my nerves. Aubrey always totally held it together, but in trying to hold it together my sarcasm/angers evils cousin, was bound to come out. The following are directions I was trying to give while shouting over students on the last day, verbatim, while shadowing tours and trying to learn the tour routes:
Me: "If you're with Sarah's group, go over there, if you're following Sami, meet up here, if you have a gun, bring it to me...Meet back here when you're all done!" If they didn't know what sarcasm was when they entered the program, by God, they were fluent in it by the time they were Seniors.
Aubrey and I loved those damn kids. They made us crazy as hell, but they were the favorite part of both of our jobs. When I got ready to take a new job last year, it was the ambassadors and Aubrey that I dreaded telling that I was leaving. Aubrey because we had been through so much together professionally and personally over the years, and the students because, while I'm not a mother, they are the closest things I will ever have to my own children. When they hurt, we hurt, and when they had success, we felt we were part of that success as well. I like to think that when they look back at their time in college they will remember Aubrey and I, and hopefully just a little part of our craziness, and sincere love for them will be remembered.
The program ran so well, that we actually presented 2 summers in a row at a conference on the program, and now colleges throughout the country are shadowing the program that Aubrey and I created. Presenting at a conference of course meant, she and I were able to leave the office for a few days and cause some trouble in Chicago...Not that we weren't causing trouble together in south eastern Minnesota.
Looking back at those 6 years, I don't think I would have made it some days if Aubrey hadn't been there to tell me to cool down, or be a shoulder to cry on, or listen to her stories about the latest man that was chasing after her. I looked forward to going to work to seeing those kids, and having Aubrey aka Aubz there as my voice of reason. We were an unlikely pair, but once the powers of Radke and Aubz were joined, there was no seperating us. My wish for you dear readers, is that you have someone as fabulous as the Divine Ms. Aubz to help your days go smoothly at work, and laugh at how your co-workers make YOU seem normal. :)
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