School of Business Administration

The School of Business Administration (SBA) Dean's Ambassadors are student leaders who share their academic experiences in the School of Business Administration with visitors, whether they be prospective students and their families, alumni, or donors. They play an active and vital role in representing the SBA and providing a welcoming environment to visitors.

In the Fall 2023 semester alone, this year's 18 dedicated Dean's Ambassadors met with 73 prospective students and their families to give them individualized visits to the SBA. Along with the one-on-one tours, the Ambassadors connected with an additional 105 families during this fall's three Fall Preview Days and took part in student panels for over 50 high school guidance counselors who visited UD for guidance counselor events.

While the Ambassadors led a successful fall, the spring semester is the busiest of the year for a Dean's Ambassador. This is due mainly to the fact that the tour schedules will pick up as prospective students start to receive admission offers.

"There is something special that happens when our Dean's Ambassadors connect with our prospective students. The visit takes a pause from facts and shifts into sharing stories and experiences, which I think is the spark that helps relationships build," explains Allie Ellison, Associate Director of Recruiting Initiatives and Special Projects, who supports the Dean's Ambassador. "Our Ambassadors are sharing their enthusiasm and achievements within the business school, as well as the challenges they've persisted through, whether it was a course they needed extra help with or even roommate issues. Their openness keeps the conversation real and relatable to our high school students, and at the end of the day, they will remember that connection over any fact or statistic."

While their primary audience is prospective students and their family members, Ambassadors also lead tours for alumni, donors, corporate partners, and more. This year's Ambassadors hosted tours for prominent guests to the SBA, including Crown Equipment Executives, University of Dayton's newest Provost, Darlene Weaver, and Business as a Calling guest speaker Lori Beer, Global Chief Information Officer.

"The School of Business Administration has incredible students - so it comes to no surprise that our Dean's Ambassadors do an amazing job connecting with our visitors, whether it is a high school student who is equally nervous and excited about college or an executive at a major corporation," adds Ellison.

Learn more about visiting the UD School of Business Administration.