Chuck Kornbrodt | Photo by Patric Simon
When Chuck Kornbrodt transferred to Portland State from Portland Community College, he didn’t feel a sense of belonging with the campus community.
“I was just showing up and leaving,” he said. “I’m a bit of an older student at 41, but when I got a job with the Student Ambassadors, not only did I feel like that connection to the school because I was now making friends, but it was also one of those things where I was never the older student ambassador, I was just a student.”
The impact of working as a student ambassador has given Kornbrodt more than a sense of belonging, but is also informing his future career. As a Master’s student in English Literature — with a Bachelor’s degree in History — Kornbrodt was planning to pursue a career in teaching. But he’s enjoyed working with students in an ambassador capacity so much that he’s looking into paths within the Office of Undergraduate Admissions instead.
“The best way to describe it is that the student ambassador is a window into student life, for a variety of people,” he said. “It’s showing campus, but also giving them our experience as well.”
Part of sharing his experience has included breaking down the belief that students can only be successful if they graduate in 4 years or know exactly what they want to do with their lives.
“If you're trying to hold yourself to someone else's standard, it's not going to work out in your best interest,” he said.
Throughout the summer, student ambassadors were giving new and prospective students tours of campus. As students return in the fall, Kornbrodt said he’s looking forward to continuing those tours but with more people around.
“It’s bizarre going into the buildings on tours and seeing them empty,” he said. “Even if I don't interact with anybody, I'm looking forward to just seeing people around on campus.”