One of the greatest aspects of Fordham is the access students have to meet people from all over the United States and the rest of the world. This isn’t exclusive to Fordham’s campus. Being in the greatest metropolis in the world, New York City, you have the ability to chat and acquaintance yourself with people that hail from many different places around the world.
When I became a University Ambassador with the Rose Hill Society at Fordham, one of my intentions was to observe the various types of people that come to visit. Now, in my third semester of being a campus tour guide, I have met, talked to and enjoyed the company of people from all different walks of life.
For example, I lead a small tour group this week that consisted of three families. The families were from Louisiana, California and Rhode Island. Three entirely different places. As the tour came and went, I noticed many things that confirmed the behavior of the families that typically come to Fordham to take a tour.
The family from Louisiana acted similarly to how I expected: cautious and prideful. I think (hope) they liked Fordham’s campus, but the whole time they had an air of skepticism. The South is the greatest place in the world in their eyes. Anything else is a little step below. However, I could tell they were impressed with what Fordham had to offer.
The California family was also similar to other families from the Western United States. They were very analytical and asked the important questions without holding back. Families from the West are always knowledgeable and have a keen sense of what makes a quality college or university.
Lastly, the family from Rhode Island followed up on the Northeast generalization of mine. For most of the tour, they acted quiet and just observed while I rambled on about how great Fordham is. However as reserved as they were, when something that piqued their interest came up they were not shy to voice what they had to say.
I always find immense satisfaction in figuring out how to show Fordham in a way that appeals to the people that occupy my tour. And the fact that Fordham is versatile enough to charm people from all over the world is one of the things I cherish about my school.
Rose Hill Society has afforded me the opportunity to learn about people's behavior from all around the world. If you haven't caught on by now I've made generalizations about how each type of family acts when they visit a school based on where they live.
Usually, I’m a staunch complainer but in this edition, I’ll sing the praises of Fordham and one of the great qualities that make it such an amazing school.
Or maybe I just like to test my selling and persuasion skills to families who will believe anything that comes out of my mouth…. that could be it too.
