It’s that time of year again; the sun is shining, groups of people are gathering on T Hall Lawn, and UNH tours are in full swing! Between accepted students day, admissions events and tours around campus, there is no question that UNH has been alive and buzzing with prospective students and their families. We can’t deny the fact that walking by tour groups makes us wish we were in their shoes just to have the opportunity to relive freshman year one more time. This week’s campus celebrity, Katie Wordell, is a senior who has been involved with the UNH tour guide program for most of her college career. Her Campus was lucky enough to sit down with her and learn the method behind the madness!
Major: History and Justice Studies with a minor in Forensics
Year: Senior
How did you first become involved with the UNH student tour guide program?
My sophomore year I applied for the tour guide position. I saw tours going around on campus and I was like wow I really like UNH and this is something I could do to share my passion for UNH! I remember applying to colleges and being nervous being away from home and picking the right school. I really thought that because I distinctly remember being so nervous, I could share my experience and how great it worked out for me with other nervous incoming students. So, I applied and got in and have been giving tours ever since!
Now I’ve actually been able to take a more active role on the advisory board as the group visit and shadow coordinator. I love working on the advisory board and it’s been great getting more involved since joining the program.
What is are your specific duties as group visit and shadow coordinator?
I work with high schools that want to come on a fieldtrip to UNH as a group of usually around 30 students. I’ve organized groups up to 130 students who will come and go on a tour that I have organized for them. I usually organize younger groups of high school kids such as freshmen and sophomores. This is a really great opportunity for them to become exposed to college life and the application process early so they understand that there is still time for them to get good grand and become involved in high school organizations in order to get into UNH or similar schools.
I make sure they have a tour guide, make sure there are spaces reserved for them in the dining hall, and I organize an information session about the application process as well as a panel where they can talk to a group of students about UNH and their concerns and related subjects. I also have to make sure that they have parking and all their questions are answered as their first point of contact at UNH. After I got the hang of it, it became less intimidating and more of a professional learning experience for me.
Katie with her fellow UNH tour guides!
What are some of the most common questions prospective students ask you during a tour or info session?
Prospective students usually ask me why I chose to go to UNH and if I’m happy here. I tell them that everyone comes to UNH for a different reason but for me, it just felt like home here. I felt comfortable on campus and UNH had such an amazing sense of community that was definitely unmatched by any other school I looked into. I’ve noticed that incoming students are also most concerned with their social life on campus and if they’re going to be happy here. I tell them that you can be academically successful wherever you go, but where you are happiest socially will ultimately effect academic success!
Are there any particularly difficult questions that prospective students ask?
There are always difficult questions, but most of them are just funny because you’re not expecting them. The most difficult or surprising ones are very specific. I remember during one of my first tours, a mom came up to me and explained how her daughter was a really light sleeper and asked what she should do about her roommate. That was funny. Also, one time a parent asked me about the specific square footage of different types of dorm rooms in each residence hall across campus! Overall the questions are more humorous than difficult to answer. I always try to answer their questions in a way that helps students and parents understand the bigger picture of the college experience.
What has been your favorite part about your role as a UNH tour guide?
One of my favorite parts about being a tour guide is when students come up to me at the end of the day and say that I really helped them to make a decision about where to go to college. Sometimes they’ll come up to me afterwards and mention how they really weren’t considering going to UNH, and now you’ve shown me that it can be more than just a state school where every kid from my high school is going.
What is most rewarding is when I am able to change people’s perspective about UNH. I’m glad that I can be people’s support person because I remember being just so nervous as a senior in high school about college. I love that I can help kids just enjoy the last few months of their senior year knowing that they are looking forward to college and are comfortable with their decision to attend UNH.
How has the tour route and information changed over the years since you started?
We just changed the tour route this semester! We used to walk up and down Main Street to show most of those buildings along there. We recently received feedback from a consulting company as well as family surveys about how people wanted to tour the back half of campus to see more academic buildings and freshmen dorms. This route helps visitors to get a more complete view of the UNH campus.
The information we talk about on tours has changed a bit just because the UNH population has grown so much. Even though the population has gone up, we can still highlight small class sizes and the number of residents in each hall because those numbers haven’t changed at all. We also do try to incorporate how the current construction going on around campus at the gym, Cowell Stadium and Ham Smith will be a positive factor in the long run for the incoming freshmen’s overall UNH experience.
What is one piece of advice you would give to an incoming freshman?
Get involved right away because the more clubs and organizations that you join, the more friends and connections you’ll make. The freshman Juke Box and U Day are great events to check out to see what UNH student orgs have to offer. Joining different student organizations definitely makes the transition from high school to college a lot easier!
Do you have any post graduation plans?
Yes! After graduation I’m working at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Bristol County Massachusetts. I’m going to be a family advocate for them. As a family advocate, I’m going to be helping child victims of sexual and physical abuse and their families if they need help or guidance navigating the legal process of going to court or getting therapy. I’m excited because it ties in with the skills that I have gained from both my History and Justice Studies majors!
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I just love sitting out on T Hall lawn when I have a minute to hangout!