By Gerrit Goodwin/ campus news editor

One way to develop strong leaders is through service to the community, said Cheryl North, NE sociology instructor and Student Ambassadors faculty adviser.

The Student Ambassadors program, offered on all five campuses, provides students with opportunities to involve themselves in their communities through religion, activities or outreach programs.

“Student activism, as far as contributing to our community and to the global community, is a major focus of Student Ambassadors,” North said. “The ambassadors strongly believe in giving back to the community that does so much to support TCC students.”

North said community outreach is an area where the Student Ambassadors excel, conducting numerous projects each year.

“One of our recent projects included hosting a pizza party and movie night for women and children living in a shelter for victims of domestic abuse,” she said. “We’ve also sponsored families through Mission Arlington and hosted a holiday party for the children at Cook Children’s hospital.”

Quynh Nguyen, the Student Ambassadors president, said sponsoring a family through Mission Arlington has become a Christmas tradition among students.

“The ambassadors buy presents and necessities for each family so that they can have the greatest and warmest Christmas,” Nguyen said. “The family that we sponsored this year was a single mother with three children, and they didn’t have much. We were able to raise $200 to buy them grocery gift cards. In addition, every member in the club donated at least three items from clothes to toys. We were even able to give an Xbox 360 to the family, which was on the middle child’s wish list.”

Other projects taken on by the Student Ambassadors include providing Thanksgiving meals for families involved with Alliance for Children, sponsoring an on-campus pet adoption, volunteering for Rescue Her, an organization that fights human trafficking, and working with Habitat for Humanities, North said.

“Additionally, we promote global citizenship, or the idea that we should all contribute to the improvement of our world,” she said.

Such as when the Ambassadors completed a project that involved making 75 pairs of shoes for children in Uganda, Africa, who suffered from infection due to parasites, North said.

The group not only works but also spends plenty of time having fun together through parties and other events such as the car smash for charity, where students paid $1 to beat up an old car, North said.

“We had a DJ and music playing, and a lot of students came out to support us and had a good time smashing the car,” she said. “We had fun and raised over $500 for charities in our community.”

Other than participating in community service and outreach projects, the Student Ambassadors also assist the administration and faculty by promoting a positive image of TCC, offering campus tours for new students and helping to recruit prospective students, North said.

“Student Ambassadors actively recruit new members and offer membership to new students through various venues such as sponsoring tables at fall and spring fests and speaking to high school classrooms,” she said. “One of our major goals is to offer an environment of inclusion where students can get involved in campus life.”

Zarah Huitron, Student Ambassadors vice president, said she joined the group because she wanted to make something of her college years but became passionate about the organization after assisting at the women’s shelter.

“I never knew how much effort it took to bring things together and make them happen,” she said. “It’s made me appreciate everything the club and the faculty do for us.”

While Huitron enjoys helping others, she said the most important thing is the possibility of making someone’s day.

“To bring a little more kindness and those feel-good feelings,” she said.