With the homecoming game occurring this Saturday, four candidates are hoping to win the title of Homecoming Ambassador at the game: Dental hygiene senior Hannah Cunningham, accounting junior Nicholas Green, construction management senior Joshua Hoover and medical laboratory sciences senior Allison Hoover.
In a Q&A with the Torch, the candidates shared the impact running has had on them.
What was your motivation for applying to be a candidate Homecoming Ambassador?
Cunningham: I’ve always been super involved on campus. Um, I joined a ton of organizations. When the application came out, I knew a few of the people who ran last year and the year before. And they, once I talked to them, they kind of told me, you know, more details about it, how good of an opportunity it was, and it was something, you know, that really interests me.
Green: It pretty much just happened, like I worked in the [David Eisler Center] and it was one day where I just seen Ben and David, and it was like, Yeah, this is like, for the homecoming ambassador. I’m like, alright, I’m just gonna do it. And I just went all the way with it.
Hoover: So it was kind of one of my friends that originally said it when the guys in the fraternity with me, and he goes, Hey, I think you, you know you’d be a good candidate for this. And at first I was kind of like, and, you know, I’ve never done anything like this. I don’t, you know, I don’t know what to do, and I’m kind of still in that position. But I figured, I love this community. I love Ferris State University. And so that really started getting me thinking. And something my grandpa always said was, when he was here at Ferris the fraternities did so much for not just Ferris State, but also the Big Rapids community. And whenever he talks about stuff like that, I always say, you know, I’d like to be able to do that. I’d like to make a difference like that and try to get us back to where that was. And so that really kind of got me going into wanting to run for homecoming ambassador.
Leslie: Originally, I was approached by Ben Avery, who is the advisor for Entertainment Unlimited, and he recommended that I look into it, and I did. And after kind of seeing what it was about, I really thought it would be a good way for me to kind of showcase what I have done for Ferris and for Big Rapids, and get the chance to represent my university.
What is going to be your takeaway from this experience, win or lose?
Cunningham: Definitely putting myself out there, this has definitely been something, you know, people are like, oh, like, you need to advertise more. And I think that’s really throwing me out of my comfort zone. But I’ve also had a lot of fun with it. I’ve talked to a lot of new people on campus, just kind of spreading, like my advocate, like advertisement, like word of mouth. I’ve talked to a ton of new students that I’ve never talked to before, getting, like different people in different programs, having my friends, kind of like, spread that out and just kind of like get the support. So yeah, I definitely feel supported. Definitely met a ton of new people through this experience.
Green: I’m still gonna gain something regardless. Really just having the satisfaction on that I did something. I didn’t waste my time, I didn’t miss out on opportunity that I didn’t just let something pass me by. That’s as much as I can gain from this situation. It just people knowing that I put the work into the time and the effort to make something happen, to make my face known to you know, show my face that shows a lot of dedication and consistency, and that’s powerful.
Hoover: I think it’s more so just convincing myself I could do it. You know, I’ve never really been more very social person or very outgoing person, and I think that this, this experience, definitely showed me that, you know, like, it’s possible for me to do that and kind of expand myself and promote myself in a way that makes myself look good, as well as my fraternity and then my friends, my family and everything like that.
Leslie: I’ve already just seen, like, incredible support from my friends and even people that I don’t quite know but are still behind me and supporting me. And I think that’s really special, and I think I’m gonna remember that forever, and when I graduate, I’m gonna miss this tight knit community and everybody here.
What are your plans if you win?
Cunningham: Essentially, just the opportunity to get others involved. You know, since running a lot of people ask me, like, oh, like, when was that application? How did you get involved? And I think really kind of spreading that word to get, you know, newer people on campus involved, getting others involved with what we have on campus. Kind of like spreading the word about different opportunities that Ferris even invites all students to join, even at that junior senior level, and just kind of including everyone and getting, you know, it out there to make Ferris school like more like home for them cool.
Green: I want to bring an artist up here, like I was acting a little bit in the Detroit music scene, like I’m not a rapper or anything. But, you know, I was a lot. I was around a lot of musical artists, and I do want to bring, like, a concert up here, or something like that, , I don’t know but do that with Entertainment Unlimited. They do, like, post homecoming, I haven’t really talked about it much, or, you know, through within the win, yet it was just an idea. I kind of want to get over the homecoming Ambassador thing and maybe win or something before I even do all that.
Hoover: I’d like to try to get more of a community outreach so that way it’s not just Ferris State students that are going to different events and stuff like that, but also the like the community of Big Rapids as well. I feel like both the city and the school thrive the most when you’re working together and having it done together. So I’d like to schedule more stuff like that, and then just promote like overall attendance of any RSOs are on campus as well, as you know, the high school, middle school that are here and their families as well.
Leslie: I just kind of want to show the Big Rapids community what Ferris is about. And even, you know, beyond Big Rapids, just kind of showing that Ferris has given me wonderful opportunities to become a better leader, and what I have been able to do with that and accomplish with that.
What do you wish students knew about the process of being a Homecoming Ambassador candidate?
Cunningham: I think it’s a great opportunity. I think, like, I would tell everyone to do it, really, no matter kind of like you said, winner, blues, I think you know even talking to like before. Candidates mark or the other three that are in it, they all seem like you know great people. They’re super involved in like their organizations and stuff like that. And so it’s definitely like a cool experience to see what other people have done for this campus.
Green: It’s a gratification. It’s not instant gratification. It takes time. And you know some things, if you work hard for it, you reach this milestone, and I did. And if you just keep going, if you believe in yourself, even when nobody else believes in you, you can do it. Even if you lose, you can still win, because you work for this moment. So the moment that you’re that you are going to win, you can go even harder, because you know the loss. It wasn’t a loss, it was just a lesson. And you take that experience and you just keep going.
Hoover: I think more students should do it. I think more students run. I think there’s four candidates this year, and I think it’s a good way for Ferris to get together, especially for homecoming week, where, you know, all of us are together as a team, as Bulldogs. And I think it’s just a fun experience that a lot more people should really, you know, try to expand themselves and go for it.
Leslie: N/A
The winner will be announced during the Homecoming game on Oct.5.