Elle and Ethan were elected by the student body to serve as the 2023 Student Ambassadors and have shared their experience below.

Elle Eilert
 In one word, how would you describe your experience as a K-State Student Ambassador?

Joyful!

What surprised you the most about your experience?

I am blown away by the pride and passion of our K-State family. This past year, I have learned so much about our university, faculty, and the land grant mission.  I am so inspired after listening to the aspirations of incoming students and the stories of alumni. This experience has truly deepened my love for K-State and helped me recognize the goodness of our university.

Do you have a favorite event you attended?

Every event offers a unique experience to know the Wildcat family. I was blown away by the generosity of our hosts in Wichita, Kansas City, Abilene and more. One of my favorite experiences was the St. Joseph, Missouri event. We had the opportunity to tag along with the 2022 ambassadors last fall as our first event as well as this fall with the newly elected 2024 ambassadors. It was so fun to see familiar faces and reminisce on the beginning of our term!

How do you feel you made a difference as a K-State Student Ambassador?

As an ambassador, we have the unique opportunity to interact with administrators on car rides and at events. We are an easy access sounding board to the student perspective. I think this allowed us to make a difference as student ambassadors because we were able to share the student perspectives to a variety of different people. I also have loved getting to share genuine experiences with perspective students.

What advice would you give the 2023 K-State Student Ambassadors?

Everyone is front of you is a gift! Get out of your comfort zone and connect with those surrounding you. You were elected to know others and share your story, so don’t hold back!

Is there anything you wish you would have known at the beginning of your term?

I wish I would’ve been more confident at the beginning of our term. It is easy to get intimidated or know what to do in a room full of prominent, successful leaders. I would tell myself to start conversations in the food lines, sit with someone new, ask more intentional questions, and be bold. I wish I knew how much I would treasure these stories and conversations now!

Ethan Brown
In one word, how would you describe your experience as a K-State Student Ambassador?

A journey

My year as a student ambassador can be described as… an honor to fulfill, my favorite year in college, and the easiest job in the world because of the people who call K-State home.

What surprised you the most about your experience?

I was surprised at how each community that we visited had a unique personality. Even though there were commonalities: a love for K-State, enthusiastic alumni, lots of purple; there was also a reflection of the region and the varied life paths that each alum has experienced after leaving K-State.

Do you have a favorite event you attended?

So hard to choose, but if I have to, I would pick Abilene. It was the first time I wore that purple coat, it was surreal to have Amy Button Renz '76, '86 introduce us as Ambassadors, and my parents were able to attend. The attendees were supportive and laughed heartily at my attempts at humor. It was the first time I got to see future K-Staters receive alumni club scholarships. I felt like I was right in the middle of prior generations of Wildcats and future generations of Wildcats. Isn’t that exactly the family feeling we talk about when we reminisce about the K-State family?

While that first visit was a great way to start, each alumni club and community that hosted us this past year is now a special memory for me. If you were in attendance, please know that it was my pleasure to meet you. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the various journeys of the K-State alumni. If you couldn’t make it this past year, I encourage you to attend one this year. I know you will enjoy hearing from the new ambassadors and Adam Walker '04, '09.

How do you feel you made a difference as a K-State Student Ambassador?

I hope I was able to share in an accurate and relatable way about the current student experience with the alumni that I had the privilege to meet. However, I think it might be true to say that being a K-State Student Ambassador actually made a bigger difference in me. I grew to love the university and its impact on the people in the state of Kansas even more than I did my first years as an undergrad. I think I learned about how our short years at K-State are valuable, but also transformative. They prepare us for the rest of life and there is a lot of living to be done after undergrad!

What advice would you give the 2022 K-State Student Ambassadors?

Savor the time you get to share with alumni and future wildcats, wear that awesome purple jacket with pride, and always save room for a treat from the dessert tray.

Is there anything you wish you would have known at the beginning of your term?

I can honestly say there is nothing I wish I would have known from the beginning. The entire experience was as enjoyable and rewarding as I hoped it would be. The unexpected events, like celebrating the culmination of Amy Button Renz’s remarkable career with the Alumni Association and welcoming Adam Walker to his role as president and CEO, became unforgettable moments on my journey over the past year.