CHCS Perspectives Summer/Fall 2013

PERSPECTIVES • SUMMER-FALL 2013 – Page 43 • coordinating with class officers to match new students with student mentors before orientation week so they have someone to contact with questions and concerns before they arrive and a friendly network to connect with once on campus • mentoring the NSU Pre-Physical Therapy Club and collaborating with the club in joint activities, including undertakings for National Physical Therapy Month • helping the department during orientation week in recruiting volunteers to help with logistics, tours, and other orientation activities such as student discussion panels • providing feedback to the admissions counselor regarding their experience during the admissions cycle in order to assist with process optimization • providing feedback to student affairs regarding their experience during orientation week and suggesting activities that appeal to students and can be useful for them to learn about available resources • providing feedback to the department regarding their own orientation experience and the contents of the orientation Web page to ensure it includes all information relevant to incoming students • helping the department prepare equipment lists and other documentation provided during orientation • mentor the cohort of ambassadors The first group of ambassadors, which was established in 2012, in- cludes Kiley Coleman (group leader), Leslie Baldwin, George Dudziec, Kortnee Foreman, and Giovanni Santi (class vice presi- dent) from the class of 2014. In 2013, they were joined by the next cohort of ambassadors from the class of 2015, which includes Re- beccah Westol (group leader and class vice president), Kathryn Horton, Alyson Kessner, Derek Lair, Brittney Marriott, and Naha Patel. Both groups of ambassadors are actively involved in the preparations for the incoming class of 2016, which will be joining the program next May. Ambassadors work together on all aspects of admissions and ori- entation, but there are several subgroups within the ambassadors that take on specific tasks such as open houses, orientation week, social media, or undergraduate relations. The faculty liaison for the ambas- sadors is Alicia Fernandez-Fernandez, D.P.T., Ph.D., assistant professor in the Physical Therapy Department, who is also a member of the Physical Therapy Admissions Committee. Ambassadors meet with the faculty liaison once a month to discuss progress, current needs or issues at the departmental level, or issues with the admissions’ process. They also work very closely with faculty members to make the incom- ing student experience as satisfying and carefree as possible. Thanks to our ambassadors, we have been able to improve the flow of information between the department and accepted applicants. We have also established an open line of communication with current students that has been very beneficial in assessing our admissions and orientation logistics and processes. Additionally, we have established ties with the Pre-Physical Therapy Club at NSU and provided the members with opportunities to interact with our students, learn more about physical therapy, and gain insight into the life of a physical therapy student. Through a tight collaboration with class officers, the ambassadors have helped us represent our program throughout the university and in the community. We are very excited to welcome our incoming class of 2016, and we know their experience will be even better because of the tireless work of the ambassadors. Pictured (from left) are third- year Doctor of Physical Therapy students Amanda Pawlik, Jamie Gold, and Brett Kestenbaum.