Building and Scaling an Ambassador Program to Extend Capacity and Community
STUDENT AMBASSADOR PROGRAM
SCALE
2 teams, 6 paid team leaders, 50 volunteers
TIMELINE
2019-Present
ROLE
Program founder, owner, and project manager
RESULTS
Scaled from 29 to 50 ambassadors
Overview
To support recruitment, event execution, and peer-to-peer engagement, I designed and launched a student ambassador program from the ground up.
What began as an informal group of volunteers evolved into a structured, scalable program with defined leadership roles, clear expectations, and centralized project management.
THE PROBLEM
Before the program existed, student support was informal and ad hoc. Help for events and communications depended on availability and word-of-mouth, resulting in inconsistent experiences, limited capacity, and missed opportunities to build community among students.
As recruitment efforts expanded, it became clear that relying on staff alone wasn’t sustainable. Without structure, we risked burnout, uneven quality, and underutilization of our most valuable resource: our students.
THE STRATEGY
KEY PRINCIPLES INCLUDE:
Clear structure and expectations to support consistency
Leadership tiers to enable self-sufficiency and reduce staff bottlenecks
Centralized systems to keep work visible and organized
Student development alongside operational needs
The goal was to create a program that could scale without becoming chaotic, while still feeling authentic and empowering for participants.
As the program grew, I introduced paid team leader roles to act as liaisons between the ambassadors and the office, allowing the program to operate more independently while maintaining quality and alignment.
THE EXECUTION
Program Design & Growth
Launched the program in Fall 2019 with 29 ambassadors
Scaled to 50 ambassadors supported by 6 paid team leaders
Defined separate expectations for volunteers and team leaders
Team leaders manage 2 new major events a year to support student development
Program Organizational Chart
Recruitment & Onboarding
Built and managed the recruitment process using an online application
Personally selected all ambassadors
Created contracts outlining expectations and a code of conduct
Developed annual training materials and documentation
Over time, I trained team leaders to run onboarding and training sessions themselves, further decentralizing operations.
Training Materials and Job Descriptions
Project Management & Systems
As the program grew, I replaced fragmented tools (documents, spreadsheets, forms) with a centralized project management system.
Implemented ClickUp to manage:
Tasks and timelines
Documentation
Role-based responsibilities
Defined six distinct team leader roles with clear ownership areas
Used structured workflows to support event planning, communications, and ongoing program operations
ClickUp task view
THE RESULTS
Key results include:
Program scaled sustainably from 29 to 50 ambassadors
Consistently cited by prospective students as the most valuable part of recruitment events
Improved consistency and quality across events and communications
Strengthened community and reduced silos among academic programs
Increased operational capacity without increasing full-time staff workload
Offered an opportunity for students to develop leadership skills
The program has proven durable year-over-year, and similar models are now being considered by other units for replication.
Impact Beyond Metrics