Being an International Student Ambassador

In September 2021, I received the email that I had been selected as an International Student Ambassador (ISA) of the University of Pécs for the fourth consecutive year. Every year has been different, not just because of new ambassadors, but because every year there are changes to the program, and we had to adapt. 

In 2018, when the program first launched, I applied and was a part of the inaugural cohort. Having lived and schooled in four different countries, I knew all too well how difficult it could be adjusting to a new culture, far away from home, where there are significant differences and felt I would make an invaluable contribution to the program. But the experiences I have had and the memories I have made are priceless. The program has impacted me in ways I didn't imagine. Of course, there was the expected. I had been given a platform to spread information about the University of Pécs, university life, and the city of Pécs. I shared first-hand experiences with prospective students and advised newly accepted students as they prepared for their move to Hungary. However, something I didn't expect was the friendships I cultivated with my fellow ISAs. One thing I cannot forget from this year is a dinner and tour of the different Faculties of the University with visiting high school guidance counsellors from abroad. One of which was from UWC Mahindra and with whom I could have a great conversation.

In 2019, as an ISA, I participated in Instagram takeovers and kept followers on my Facebook portal up to date with the latest happenings at the university. This was the year we all started to feel the pandemic's effect, which meant we had to change our methods of connecting with prospective students. I ventured out of my comfort zone and hosted a webinar for the first time. Our usual campus tours and visits couldn't occur, so the University of Pécs Medical School hosted the first-ever Livestream Open Day at the Medical School. Assisting behind the scenes with this event was, by far, the most exciting thing that year.

In 2020, we knew a bit better how to live with COVID-19. The year started online, but as the months went by, we slowly got back to some form of normalcy. I was selected as the Senior ISA. In this role, I maintained communication between the ISAs and the University of Pécs International Centre and organised our virtual meetings, in addition to my usual ISA duties. I wrote blogs, hosted webinars, and a fellow ambassador and I even created a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) video that can be found on the University YouTube. 

For the 2021-2022 academic year, I decided I would continue as both an ISA and the Senior ISA. Last week, I finally got to have my annual photos taken since I was on my Erasmus in Belgium when the other ambassadors had their photoshoots last year. Today, I received the proofs and chose a new picture for my ISA profile on the University website. It is truly an honour and a privilege to represent the University of Pécs one last time. 

To see my student ambassador profile, visit www.international.pte.hu/student-ambassadors/amber-martinez and to check out my country Facebook portal, visit www.facebook.com/universityofpecs.caymanislands