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March 6, 2007
President’s Select
Meet the personalities behind those people that walk backwards.
Written by Gretchen Pressley
Courtney Besse starts her tour of the campus on University Day.
A girl in a red shirt comes out of the Texas Tech Visitors Center leading a small group of people. She is walking backwards and talking excitedly about the university as she starts her first tour of the day. This girl’s name is Courtney Besse, and she is a member of President’s Select.
One of the university’s most prestigious organizations, President’s Select is a group of 94 student ambassadors chosen to serve Texas Tech in recruitment and building relationships. Though most people have noticed these outgoing students walking backwards as they explain the benefits of Texas Tech, not many people actually realize the work and dedication they pour into their jobs, says Besse, sophomore retailing major.
“We give tours, but we also help with athletic recruiting, and at the basketball games,” she says. “We even call prospective students to help recruit them.”
What it Takes to Succeed
Besides giving tours of the campus, responsibilities of the members of the group include volunteering at athletic events, serving at presidential parties or receptions, working in the Office of the President, brainstorming and enacting high school recruiting events, hosting campus recruiting events and many other miscellaneous tasks to help promote Texas Tech.
“You have to be dedicated, hard working and organized,” Besse says. “If you are not prepared, you will be caught off guard on a tour. You also have to be respectable. Being looked up to is sometimes a little scary, but you have to be someone that parents would want their kids to go to school with. You have to be knowledgeable about all different kinds of majors and you have to be a good leader.”
Julian Olivas, co-advisor for President’s Select, says that they pick students for the group based on several factors.
Current members of President's Select.
Click to enlarge.
“We look for enthusiasm, for an obvious love of Texas Tech and for students who are able to answer real-world college questions about the university,” Olivas says. “This is not an ordinary group. We constantly have things going on. We have to be able to trust the students. However, they are very well trained."
Because of the demanding schedule and projects, President’s Select is very particular about its members and is a much sought after resume builder, says Cathy Kay, co-advisor for President’s Select.
“These students are the cream of the crop,” Kay says. “We had about 300 applications last year, but were only able to take 36 students. It’s a huge honor to be selected.”
A History of Excellence
President’s Select began in 1994 with 12 members chosen from the Saddle Tramps, an all-male booster organization supporting men's athletics, and the High Riders, an all-female booster association supporting women's athletics, who were then only responsible for campus tours.
The group evolved from being simply a tour guide group, to a full ambassador program when David Schmidly, the president of Texas Tech from 1996 - 2000, decided that these students could be helpful in many other realms. He named them the President’s University Select and gave them more duties.
The program grew with each passing year and two years ago the group merged with Raider Recruiters, an athletic promotion organization. Their advisor, Jennie Bailey, also joined, forming a trio of group advisors. President’s Select took over the duties of the Raider Recruiters and are now sponsored by the President's Office, Office of Admissions and the Athletics Department.
Why President's Select? Walking backwards has its benefits.
President's Select Officers (l-r): Brecklyn Hughes, vice president for athletics; Callie Ottmers, secretary; Jessica Cargle, president; and Justin Clark, vice president for admissions.
Even though the duties are demanding, each member of President’s Select gets numerous benefits, Kay says.
“They are developing leadership skills, for one,” Kay says. “After these jobs, they are not afraid to speak in public.”
But not all benefits have to do with learning skills. There are no organization fees because all of the group’s activities and expenses are sponsored by the Office of Admissions at Texas Tech. The members all receive President’s Select T-shirts and other gear they might need, Olivas says.
“We make it worth their while,” Olivas says. “Everything we buy them has a purpose for their job.”
Other benefits include getting a $100 discount on the class ring and getting to register for classes on the first day.
“Though it’s a perk for the students, registering early also helps them make sure they can schedule their classes around when we usually give tours,” Olivas says. “We want as many people as possible available. We want to make sure that everyone who comes on campus will be treated right.”
Another benefit is the amount of networking the students get to do. They are introduced to many people at the athletic events and even meet prospective employers while giving tours.
“We had an architecture major who was giving a tour to a man from Dallas,” Olivas says. “At the end of the tour, the man was so impressed that he offered the student his contact information and told him to call him if he ever wanted an internship or career advice.”
However, the biggest benefits come from doing a good job and promoting the school they love, Besse says.
“I’ve definitely gotten a lot more involved in this organization than I have any other,” Besse says. “You’re on your own a lot of the time. You have to know what to do and make yourself useful. We take our jobs very seriously.”
For more information, visit the Web site of President's Select.
Story produced by the Office of Communications and Marketing, 806-742-2136.
Photos courtesy of Julian Olivas and Courtney Besse
Web layout by Gretchen Pressley