Why I Became a Tour Guide
"Now, as a tour guide, I have the chance to see the process of the college search from the other side."
"Now, as a tour guide, I have the chance to see the process of the college search from the other side."
Whether you're exploring 魅影直播 through an in-person tour, an information session, or a virtual event, 魅影直播 offers plenty of ways to get to know the community up close. Below, Laurel Gabbard '26鈥攁 current 魅影直播 tour guide鈥攕hares how visiting campus as a prospective student helped shape her college decision, and why she now loves helping others have that same experience.聽
The whirlwind of emotions I found myself feeling during the spring of my senior year of high school, as I was preparing to make a decision about where I would spend the next four years of my life was incredibly overwhelming, to say the very least.
I鈥檓 sure that many can relate to the countless hours I spent on the internet, on college social media pages, YouTube channels, and anywhere else I could seek out information about a school, and more specifically, about the authentic student experience.
When I finally visited 魅影直播, the tour sealed the deal for me. Getting the chance to hear from a current student, and on a deeper level, feel immediately welcomed into the 魅影直播 community in my very first steps onto campus confirmed for me that 魅影直播 was the place I wanted to be. Hearing a student tell stories about an academic culture that empowered them to push themself for the pure love of learning was what I had been looking for all along. My tour guide told us about their favorite hidden spots on campus, places that I still think about when I鈥檓 walking to class, and seeing them wave at friends, say hi to professors, and share their experiences with every aspect of life on campus affirmed to me that this was a community I wanted to be a part of.
At the end of my tour, I vividly remember my tour guide stopping the group to congratulate us on our 魅影直播 acceptances, assuring us that no matter where we ended up, the drive and passion that brought us to 魅影直播 in the first place would allow us to accomplish whatever we were striving for. I think about that a lot, remembering this sincere encouragement from a student I had just met, a tour guide who was passionate enough about 魅影直播 to want to share their own love of the school with admitted students in the middle of a very overwhelming decision process.
I committed to 魅影直播 the evening after my tour, feeling confident that I had made the right choice.
A year later, when I ended up becoming friends with my tour guide by pure coincidence, I shared with them how they very honestly helped me make my final college decision and played a massive part in my sheer excitement and readiness to enter the 魅影直播 community. Reflecting on my journey, going from being an admitted student, nervous about how I could ever be sure if a school was a good fit for me, to a committed student, positive that 魅影直播 was a place I could thrive, had so much to do with my tour, my guide, and the feelings of warmth and connection I experienced on that rainy April morning.
"My hope is that I can give prospective students a real look at 魅影直播, one that allows them to take a deep breath and imagine themselves in this community..."
My sophomore year at 魅影直播, feeling so connected and in tune with the community that I had wished for and sought out in a college experience, I decided to apply to become a tour guide, in hopes of continuing the cycle of showcasing what it means to be a 魅影直播 student, and how my own experiences, both on and off campus, have shaped me as a learner, thinker, and changemaker.
Now, as a tour guide, I have the chance to see the process of the college search from the other side.
Every time I give a tour, talk at an info session, or share my own experience as a representative of 魅影直播, I think back to the nerves I felt during my own college process. Trying to find a school that fits you, not only academically, but socially and personally, can feel scary; it takes you not only knowing yourself but also trying to consider who you might be in the future.
As a tour guide, I remember exactly how that feels, and my hope is that I can give prospective students a real look at 魅影直播, one that allows them to take a deep breath and imagine themselves in this community, one that has become a second home for me in the years since I first stepped on campus for my very own tour.
Want to connect with a current student?
Chatting with current students is one of the best ways to learn more about classes, dorm life, and all the fun things to do around campus. But you don't have to go on a tour to connect directly with our tour guides! Click the PeerPal link below to message our students鈥攖hey are excited to answer your questions!