The MSMS Emissaries are role models, mentors, and enthusiastic representatives of the school. They are much more when it comes to the finer details that their job entails, especially playing an influential role in the lives of the incoming swarm of juniors. Recently, the Emissaries were split into two groups, one working with the Office of Admissions and the other with the Residential Life staff.

Dr. Heather Hanna, the Director for Advancement, spoke to the reason for the adjustments in the long-standing Emissary process.

“The Emissaries have been split between Academic Affairs and the Office of Admissions and Advancement in order to provide services across campus and to give different types of opportunities to the students as well. Some students enjoy giving tours and interacting with incoming students while some students would rather mentor and work with students who are already on campus. This provides those types of experiences,” she explained.

While both groups of Emissaries will continue to conduct tours and perform their normal duties in helping out with Move-In Day, New Student Orientation, and small group mentoring, the Res Life Emissaries will be working with the Res Life staff to develop new programs and the others will help manage admissions.

Rick Smith, the Director for Student Affairs, expressed his take on the changes.

“We don’t necessarily need thirty students in admissions to do all of the admissions stuff on a day-to-day basis. However, we can benefit from having extra students on the Res Life staff to do similar activities with Res Life, helping with programs and also serving as liaisons between the Res Life Staff and the students so that the student ideas can have more input. Of course, the Res Life staff would welcome anybody coming and talking to them, but a lot of students aren’t comfortable doing that. If we have a cadre of twelve to fifteen students who everybody knows they’re working with Res Life, then if someone has a concern about something they can mention it to them and those students will discuss it with the Res Life staff,” Mr. Smith stated.

Uriah Jenkins, an Admissions Emissary, talked about his experiences working with the Office of Admissions.

“The Emissaries, when we work with the admissions office, we do a lot of different things especially for outreach to the school. We do everything from helping with things like Orientation Day to Move-In Day for the juniors. We also mentor the juniors in the first couple of weeks of school. Besides that, we also do tours and generally help the admissions office with anything they need. So yeah, it’s a very good opportunity to help the school out a lot,” Jenkins said.

Laurel Yarborough, an Emissary working with the Res Life Staff, explained that “[Emissaries are] still involved with the admissions, but we’re working more closely with Res life. So like, right now we’re working with Ms. Trigg and Ms. Latham on upcoming programs and we’re trying to put together a talent show.”

The extent of duties for the new-found Res Life Emissaries are still being explored. Enthusiastic juniors with a desire to help and represent the school will receive the opportunity to apply for the position of an Emissary and indicate whether they would prefer working with Res Life or the Office of Admissions in their applications.