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Roars and tours

As a Lion Ambassador at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, Jessica Atkinson is often one of the first people who prospective students and their families meet. In addition to providing visitors with an overview of the campus, the tours she gives are also helping her build skills in the field she plans to pursue.
By: Goldie Van Horn
First-year student takes on role as Lion Ambassador to develop future career skills

As a Lion Ambassador at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, Jessica Atkinson is often one of the first people prospective students and their families meet. In addition to providing visitors with an overview of the campus, the tours she gives are also helping her build skills in the field she plans to pursue.

Atkinson is a Dallas High School graduate and a first-year student at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, majoring in public relations and advertising.

“I knew giving tours would be a great way to practice connecting with people who I don’t know and practice my social skills, too,” she said. “I really like showing the campus to new people and seeing how interested they are.”

Atkinson was drawn to Penn State Wilkes-Barre by the 2+2 Plan, which allows her to complete the first two years of coursework locally before she transitions to University Park, as well as Penn State’s large network of more than 750,000 living alumni.

“I wasn’t quite ready to go to University Park, so I decided to do my first two years here,” she said. “It’s already been a great experience. I really like how everything is so one-on-one. The class sizes are small and I can talk to my professors whenever I need to. I also feel comfortable asking my peers for help.”

Soon after starting classes, Atkinson joined the Lion Ambassadors, one of the clubs and organizations offered at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, and now gives tours during open houses and individual appointments. She takes prospective students and their families through the buildings on campus, including the Nesbitt Academic Commons, Murphy Student Services Center, Bell Center for Technology, Struthers Career Services Center, Student Commons, historic Hayfield House and her favorite, the Athletic and Recreation Building (ARB). The ARB features a fully equipped gym, basketball court, racquetball courts, weight room with weight-training and cardiovascular equipment, and a multi-purpose room for aerobics, dance and other activities. The facility is the home of campus sports and numerous recreation programs.

During the tours, Atkinson fields questions about topics ranging from class sizes to her personal experience, including “How do you like your classes?” and “Is it easy to make friends?”

“People are all so different. They can be talkative, or sometimes they just want to see the campus and don’t say much,” she said. “I’ve always had an interest in connecting with people and I enjoy the variety I get to talk with during the tours.”

The Lion Ambassadors meet weekly as a club and with their adviser, Associate Director of Admissions Alex Ellsworth. Members of the group, made up of students from all four years and many different majors, discuss upcoming tours and events.

“We are all so different, but we get along very well,” Atkinson said. “The other students are so nice and very helpful. When I have questions about my classes or anything, they are always happy to help. We appreciate that Alex has been flexible with our schedules. He understands we are in college and have other responsibilities, too.”

Ellsworth said, “Serving as a Lion Ambassador builds presentation skills and helps with networking, both of which will be beneficial to students as they prepare for and move through their careers. Jessica exemplifies what it means to be a Lion Ambassador. She is friendly and approachable, embraces new things—like meeting new people, touring campus with them and answering their questions—and always volunteers and lends a hand to others when she can. In many ways, Lion Ambassadors are the faces of Penn State Wilkes-Barre both on campus and out in the community, and Jessica definitely showcases a ‘We Are’ spirit in her interactions with everyone.”

In addition to her studies and her role with the Lion Ambassadors, Atkinson works at the Hallmark store in Dallas, a position she has held for about two years.

Her brother, Ian Atkinson, also followed the 2+2 Plan by starting at Penn State Wilkes-Barre. He is now a senior at University Park majoring in aerospace engineering.

“He was a big inspiration for why I picked Penn State Wilkes-Barre,” Atkinson said. “He was very proud I was following his path, and my parents were very proud of me as well.”

Her brother has already shown her the ropes at University Park, including a tour of the campus and a football game. While she looks forward to the experience there and living on her own, she said she will miss the small size and interconnectedness of Penn State Wilkes-Barre, especially “the ability to ask professors for help and the ease of getting around campus.”

Atkinson wants to get involved in activities at University Park as well and will look into joining the Lion Ambassadors there, too. She plans to minor in business to help her attain her public relations career goals. After graduation, she hopes to work for the public relations department of a business or a public relations firm in a large city such as Charlotte, North Carolina.