Meet Jakayla Storey! Jakayla is a sophomore Criminology and Psychology major from Conway, AR. Jakayla is a Lead Parent & Family Ambassador, a Razorback Marching Band Color Guard Member, 360 Peer Mentor, Black Students Association, NAACP and apart of the Student Alumni Association. Jakayla enjoys playing the French horn in her free time!
Encouraging your student to find a fun job on campus can be a great way for them to get involved! I have loved my jobs on campus and one of them is my position as a Parent and Family Ambassador for the Office of New Student and Family Programs. I served as a Parent and Family Ambassador for a year and was then promoted to a Lead Parent and Family Ambassador, which I serve as currently, and each second of it has been amazing! If you’re wondering where your student can sign up, applications for this position open towards the end of the fall semester and students can fill out and submit an application through HogSync. Once the deadline has passed, the advisors of the ambassadors will then reach out to set up an interview with students if they meet the requirements for the position. Requirements include maintaining a 2.5 grade point average and being available to work Family Weekend, Spring Family Reunion, and New Student Orientation dates. The interview is then a great way to better develop interviewing skills for future jobs and to show the advisors who they genuinely are. We love meeting excited, dedicated, and hard-working students! After this process is complete and advisors have had a chance to make decisions, students receive an email if they are offered the job.
Getting this email was very exciting for me and it brought me tons of skills and memories I will never forget! I am now a lot better at problem solving, speaking with parents and families, leading, and answering general questions about the university I love. I also met so many new people from different walks of life and made connections with staff in the New Students and Family Programs office, which have helped me be a better student and leader. We’ve all also had great times together at many staff outings and retreats that I’ve been a part of for the position. I’ve even gotten the opportunity to zip line because of this!
Some of my responsibilities and duties as a Parent and Family Ambassador include assisting parents and families through their transition and during their student’s time here at the University of Arkansas, working Family Weekend and Spring Family Reunion, and staffing New Student Orientation. All of these are incredibly fun responsibilities for a job and a great way for students to make friends and get involved. The position has also worked very well with my schedule and my life as a college student. Because it is on campus, the staff does very well with making sure you’re putting your academics first and not making the job time consuming at all. It is a commitment of course, but this job is very manageable and enjoyable for students and I would never regret it! I would recommend this to any student looking for a great way to be a part of something bigger on our campus. Applications are out now at https://forms.gle/hf5oK4egkGKVjN4r9 – encourage your student to take advantage of this great opportunity for your student!