Student ambassadors at Barton Community College help give campus tours, work college events and help the newcomers in student housing get settled in from move-in day and beyond. This week, Tana Cooper from the Admissions Office introduced 15 of the 16 Student Ambassadors for 2024-2025 to the board of trustees.
“It is a tough job; not everybody is hired,” Cooper said.
The students must submit a letter of recommendation and complete an essay as part of the interview process.
These students came to Barton for a variety of reasons and perform a variety of leadership roles.
Cooper said working with the ambassadors is her favorite part of her job. “It’s awesome to see these kids grow and develop.”
Barton President Dr. Marcus Garstecki also praised the ambassadors.
“They truly are representative of the college and are the face of the college when people come to visit us here.”
The 16 ambassadors are: Allyson McDougal, Moore, Okla.; Anthony Almanza Jr., Lyons; Braya Darnall, Glasco; Chailyn Scott, Dodge City; Dru Penka, Great Bend; Ellie Weeks, Clearwater; Emma Hickel, Claflin; Jamal Garrett, Wichita; Kaleigh Sheets, Great Bend; Kimberly Escobedo Valdez, Great Bend; Kya O’Banion, WaKeeney; Madison Franks, Junction City; Maverick Munden, Larned; Maya Rodriguez, Colby; Tierra Yohon, Stockton; and Naya Danenberg, Kiryat Ata, Israel.
Enrollment up
During the board of trustees study session on Sept. 17, Vice President of Administration Mark Dean presented the August financial report, noting income from tuition and fees is up $600,000 from last year, thanks to increased enrollment as well as a price increase.
“We are seeing higher enrollment,” Dean said.
However, total revenue for the month was down, mostly because the accounts receivable have increased. This is also a side effect of increased enrollment and should go down as students receive their financial aid for the semester.
Increased enrollment also means increased expenditures. Assuming all 12 months of expenditures are equal, as of Aug. 31 the expenditures should be at 17% of the budget, Dean said. The college is currently at 20.4%. He said this is not unusual because there are a lot of front-end expenses at the start of a new school year.
