The Student News Site of University of Central Missouri

Muleskinner

The Student News Site of University of Central Missouri

Muleskinner

The Student News Site of University of Central Missouri

Muleskinner

Faces of UCM: Katy Chael

By BETHANY SHERROW
News Editor

(WARRENSBURG, Mo., digitalBURG) — Katy Chael believes in the power of smiles.

“I feel like when you talk to a person, a smile can make all the difference,” Chael said.

It’s a pretty good motto for Chael to uphold, especially when it comes to her job as a student ambassador at UCM. She said she loves giving tours and working with future college students.

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When she toured UCM as a high school senior, Chael said she felt right at home. Her tour guide was personable, and if it wasn’t for him, the decision of what college to attend would not have been as easy.

Her great experience with her tour guide was one of the reasons she became a campus ambassador herself. Chael has also worked as an orientation leader over the summers, and as an Impact facilitator.

“I love working for the university,” she said. “I love representing the university. It’s one of my favorite things.”

Chael said she’s had some memorable experiences while working with future students, especially on tours. She said some tours are better than others.

“I feed off of other people’s energy, so if I’m on a tour where they’re super fun and they ask questions, and they want to know about UCM, then I will give a really good tour,” she said. “I’ll talk about stuff I don’t even think about in other tours.”

Other times, she said people can be awkward. She said she once gave a tour to a group of high school students and one of them asked strange, unrealistic questions that seemed to have obvious answers.

Chael said the girl asked if someone comes into the residence hall rooms and changes the thermostats for students every day. She also asked if students were able to go onto the field during football games.

Chael said one thing is consistent on each tour she gives, and that is her reference to President Chuck Ambrose.

“I always like to talk about President Ambrose when I point out the Administration Building,” she said. “I talk about how he’s really good about interacting with students and how he’s very active on Twitter and he’ll tweet back at you. I tell them how he knows me by my first name because I’ve been so involved and every time he sees me he says, ‘Hey Katy.’”

Chael said her involvement at UCM has been extensive. She’s participated in UCM Fraternity and Sorority Life and served on the Homecoming Leadership Committee and on the Greek Week Executive Committee.

Chael said involvement on campus has been so important to her and has changed her life.

“I look back, and in the three short years that I’ve been here, I feel like I’ve grown so much and I’ve learned so much, and not just about my major, but about myself and the world and about culture.”

She said she loves knowing that she has developed as a person and grown, and she encourages other UCM students to try to grow themselves while they’re on campus.

“College is scary,” she said. “I remember my freshman year, I was terrified to start college, but I jumped into it. I joined all these organizations and I loved it. I met the people I’m best friends with today, and they’re people who I know are going to be at my wedding.”

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Faces of UCM: Katy Chael