Student Leaders
What is a Family Ambassador?
Family Ambassadors (FAs) are a community of student volunteers dedicated to supporting families throughout their Northwestern experience. This is an excellent leadership opportunity and a great way for students to find community on campus.
Family Ambassador Responsibilities Include:
- Assisting with all aspects of Parent and Family Orientation which includes parent and family check in, hosting various sessions, participating in the “Day in the Life of a Northwestern Student” skits, giving campus tours and mingling with families and guiding them to various events around campus.
- Assisting with various aspects of Wildcat Welcome which includes new student move-in day, March through the Arch, and assisting with other initiatives that arise throughout the program.
- Assisting with all aspects of Family Weekend which takes place in October or November (date will be announced in March). This includes checking in family members, hosting sessions, directing family members to events, giving campus tours and mingling with family members throughout the weekend.
- Periodically participating in the Wildcat Family Webinar Series during the summer and throughout the academic year.
- Learning about campus resources related to the parent and family experience.
- Offering a student perspective to parents and families.
- Interacting with parents and family members on campus by answering their questions and helping to meet their needs.
- Ensuring the overall success of family programming and events.
- Family Ambassadors represent the diverse Northwestern community. We are looking for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors with varying levels of NU involvement, and a wide range of personalities and backgrounds.
Characteristics Found in Successful Family Ambassadors:
- Flexibility
- Organizational skills
- Enthusiasm
- Professionalism
- Responsible & Accountable
- Engaged
- Empathetic
- Positive Attitude
- Hardworking
- Relatability to others - and would relate well to parents and family members
- Willingness to share about your family and their experience when you transitioned to Northwestern
- Desire to speak about your Northwestern experience and share a student perspective
- Desire to serve as a resource for nervous and overwhelmed families
- Open-minded towards cultures, ethnicities, lifestyles, and backgrounds
- A willingness to learn and grow
Application
The 2024 Family Ambassador Application is Now Open. Click on the link to access the application, which is due by 11:59 pm on Sunday, February 18. To avoid any technical complications, we encourage you to submit it well before the deadline. Please email family@northwestern.edu if you have any questions.
Information Sessions
All FA applicants are required to attend a 30-minute information session to learn more about the Family Ambassador (FA) position and the area of Family Engagement. All new students have a Peer Adviser, but most students are less familiar with the FA role because they work with parents and families. We want you to understand the position before you take the time to apply.
Please plan to attend one of the following FA Information Sessions:
Friday, 1/26, 4:30 pm – 5:00 pm (in person)
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Annenberg G28
Monday, 1/29, 5:00 pm – 5:30 pm (in person)
- University Hall, Room 102
Saturday, 2/3, 11:00 am – 11:30 am (Zoom)
Wednesday, 2/7, 7:00 pm – 7:30 pm (in person)
- Tech, Room LR5
Saturday, 2/10, 1:00 pm – 1:30 pm (Zoom)
Tuesday, 2/13, 6:30 pm – 7:00 pm (in person)
- Harris Hall, Room 107
Saturday, 2/17, 1:00 pm – 1:30 pm, (Zoom)
Interviews
If you have been invited for an in-person interview, you will be asked to select your interview date and time by 12 pm (Noon) on Thursday, February 22. Interview selection is first-come, first-served. The 20-minute interviews will take place in person the following days, times, and locations:
- Friday, February 23 between 2:30 pm – 7:00 pm (Scholars Room 2-188, Norris)
- Saturday, February 24 between 9:00 am – 6:00 pm (Scholars Room 2-188, Norris)
- Tuesday, February 27 between 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm (Scholars Room 2-188, Norris)
- Friday, March 1 between 2:30 pm – 7:00 pm (Chicago Room 1-189, Norris)
- Saturday, March 2 between 9:00 am – 6:00 pm (Scholars Room 2-188, Norris)
- Monday, March 4 between 2:30 pm – 6:30 pm (Alumni Room 3-288, Norris)
Those who interview will receive an e-mail by Friday, March 8 to let them know if they received the FA position.
FA Spring Training | April 1–May 31
To cultivate the FA community and prepare FAs for their role, in-person training will take place for two hours every other week from April 1 to May 31, 2024. FAs are required to attend all training courses which will take place in the evenings during the week. Applicants will be asked to fill out a form regarding their spring schedule, which will help determine the date and time for spring training. The FA application and interview process is not complete until this form is submitted.
FA training dates will be announced by Friday, March 22. If you have a conflict with any of the training dates throughout the quarter, you must notify the Family Engagement team at least one week in advance and you will be required to make up the training session.
Fall FA Camp | September 13-16
Fall FA Camp (training) is tentatively scheduled to begin on Friday, September 13 and end on Monday, September 16, 2024. FAs can move into the residence halls and residential colleges starting Thursday, September 12 with FA Camp starting on Friday, September 13 at 9 am.
If you are a member of a fraternity/sorority planning to live in the house for the fall 2024 or are planning to live off-campus, it is your responsibility to secure early move-in approval from your house or landlord as soon as possible. If you are not able to move in early, it is your responsibility to find alternate early move-in housing. In the past, FAs have worked out arrangements with other friends or FAs if they needed a place to stay. Family Engagement will not be able to provide early housing for any FA not living in a residence hall or residential college.
Each day, training will take place from about 9 am – 6 pm with some breaks so no other plans should be made during this time (i.e. you cannot take part in other events, activities, or work any jobs during this timeframe).
Parent & Family Orientation + Wildcat Welcome
- Parent and Family Orientation will take place Tuesday, September 17 and Wednesday, September 18, 2024.
- Wildcat Welcome will take place Tuesday, September 17 - Sunday, September 22.
- Classes begin Tuesday, September 24.
FAs are expected to be on-campus and remain available during the above timeframe to fulfill all responsibilities associated with Parent and Family Orientation and Wildcat Welcome.
Family Weekend
Family Weekend 2024 will take place all day Friday to Sunday afternoon in October or November. FAs will be expected to participate in a Family Weekend training session prior to the start of the program and should plan to be busy the entire weekend. The date of Family Weekend will be announced by March. If your family plans to attend Family Weekend, you will still be expected to fulfill your FA duties however, some schedule accommodations can be made if necessary.
Position Description
Family Coordinators (FamCo) are hard-working and dedicated student leaders who have previously served at least one year as a Family Ambassador. These individuals:
- serve as the student coordinators of the Family Ambassador program
- work with the Senior Program Coordinator to design, implement, and facilitate training for Family Ambassadors
- supervise and hold Family Ambassadors accountable for their responsibilities
- help to coordinate and execute Parent and Family Orientation and Family Weekend
- assist with webinars
- provide general administrative support for Family Engagement when appropriate
Family Coordinators are selected in December and serve in their position until the following January.
2024 Family Coordinators
- Pedro Martinez
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My name is Pedro Martinez, and this will be my third year working with Family Engagement! I am excited to serve as a Family Coordinator. Currently, I’m a junior studying communication studies and working towards the Integrated Marketing Certificate (IMC). I am from Chicago, IL ( I “call out” students from the suburbs who say they are from Chicago). Aside from being a Family Coordinator, I am the professional liaison for the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and treasurer for the Rotaract Club. Outside of Northwestern, I love to try new places that TikTok recommends!
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- Liz Alcala
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My name is Liz Alcala, and I'm so excited to be a Family Coordinator this year! I am a current sophomore studying chemistry and Italian on the pre-med track. I am from Hinsdale, IL, a western suburb of Chicago. Outside of Family Ambassadors, I teach study groups for calculus, and I love volunteering with local organizations, including the Evanston Animal Shelter and CommunityHealth in Chicago. In my free time, I am always exploring downtown Chicago, trying new restaurants, or spending time with my dog!
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2023 Family Coordinators & Current FamCo Advisers
Alex Cervantes & Monica Williams (Class of 2024)
