What does the average student think of when thoughts about the future cross their minds? Unease? Panic? Insecurity? Dread? A spike in blood pressure when remembering the average price for a shoebox apartment in San Francisco?
There is enough evidence among the modern young adult American population (of which we, the Skyline College student population, comprise a significant majority) to suggest that the attitude is overwhelmingly negative. It feels as if something is missing. We’re not getting all that we should regarding the necessary professional development to carry us into a long, sustaining career. And the opportunity to have those things that we should have gotten all passed away as quickly as we remembered them. The point is, there’s something lost. There are no tools in the shed. And no knowledge of how to effectively use them, even if we did have them.
How awesome is it then, in our Skyline College community, where people of every demographic, any circumstance, whatever type of goals, all the things you can name and fit neatly on the United States Census, can come together—with other people of that wide range of people, to help assist them with getting that thing, for the future.
Of course, what is being talked about is Student Ambassador work for Skyline College’s Strategic Partnerships & Workforce Development division. The division focuses primarily on student professional development, professional networking resources, and everything that goes into being a competent competitor in the turbulent contemporary workforce. The division also allows students to participate in that development by opening doors to Federal Work Study-eligible students.
Oh, yeah, and just—going in for a career appointment as a normal student. That too.
But how would those appointments get made if not for the students—like you—who stepped up and decided to be a part of that development? Not just for them, but also for you?
My name’s Kadae Aung. I’m starting my third year at Skyline College and recently became a student ambassador for Dual Enrollment. Even in my short time here, I have learned so much. What I enjoy most is helping students navigate their college journey, offering guidance, and being a supportive resource. It’s rewarding to know I can make a difference by sharing my experiences and being someone students can rely on as they embark on these important life steps.
Hey, Cassandra here! I’m a first-year student at Skyline and one of the Student Ambassadors for Dual Enrollment. One of my wonderful teachers and counselors, Jonathan Justo, recommended the job to me last summer, and despite my anxieties, I am now part of the team! It’s been about two months since I began this position, and my experience has been amazing. As part of our work, I visit local high school districts affiliated with Skyline College and support high school students through the Dual Enrollment course registration process. As a former Dual Enrollment student, this position allows me to work on public speaking, communication, time management, data analysis, and more.
There’s another Student Ambassador who has significantly benefited from being a part of SPWD and considers the experience a cornerstone for their tenure as a Skyline College student. Can you guess who that individual might be? No, our Interim Project Director, Alex Fuentes, is not posing as a student to push you into applying for the position.
It is—I. I, as the writer of this article. The progenitor of the very words you read at this moment whenever this will be published. I, whose name you can read at the bottom of this article to attain professional anonymity for the rest of the article, was a Dual Enrollment Student Ambassador.
And I can tell you from very real, very personal experience that being a Student Ambassador for DE, or any of the many helpful services SPWD provides, will increase your abilities ten-thousandfold. Your abilities as a student, an employee, and a member of a team and a larger community—as a friend—will all sharpen to make you the best person you can be. Only by being around the many awesome people of the office, the very best in the field of professional development, onboarding, public speaking, and general community bonding, will this happen to you. And I am immensely glad and proud to have undergone this experience with a community of people whose literal job is to improve students’ skills in the workforce.
From the DE staff, such as the likes of our Interim above Project Director, Alex Fuentes, to our brilliant Program Service Coordinators, Darren McKay and Shruti Ranade, my fellow co-DE Student Ambassadors such as Gadae Aung & Cassandra Shwe Tint Tae, I am so very lucky, privileged, and eternally grateful to have committed all my time, skills, effort, and resources, all towards this team. Additionally, beyond DE, to our Career Readiness & Job Placement Branch—such as Job Placement Coordinator, Kalia Chavez, Program Service Coordinator, Laura DeKelaita, fellow Student Ambassador, Mbali Mahlangu, and many, many more driven, compassionate, strong, hard-working people, all of them to deserve their flowers.
Now, I write to you, the reader, heading off this position onto brighter horizons as a Speech, Language, and hearing Sciences student at San Francisco State University. I implore you to take a chance and grab that chance to pave the way for your future and others’ future. Trust me when I say, your past self will thank you for it.
Signing off as DE Student Ambassador is,
Elijah A. Colomer
Article by Elijah A. Colomer | Photos by Claudia Paz
