“Anyone that has interaction with the university, you are a part of the Ole Miss family, and we want to make sure that we protect our family.” -Joshua Tucker
For this episode of Community Chats, we are joined by Joshua Tucker, one of the organizers for the university’s C19 Ambassadors initiative. As students, faculty, and staff return to campus for an unprecedented fall semester, new guidelines and protocols have been set in place in order to keep everyone safe and healthy. Tune in to hear how Joshua and his team are getting university community members involved in ensuring these guidelines are being met.
As a graduate student, Joshua has been a part of the university community since 2013 when he began his undergraduate career. He then went to the University of Mississippi School of Law and afterwards, decided to continue his education at the University of Mississippi, pursuing his PhD in higher education. He jokes that he is a “professional student.” But that time as a student has engrained his passion for student affairs and success. “I can’t say enough about how much I love working with students,” Josh says. This passion led him to begin establishing the C19 Ambassador initiative.
The C19 Ambassadors, as Joshua says, will act like “door greeters” that you see at grocery stores. They will be a friendly face stationed outside common areas and academic buildings across campus providing masks and encouragement to those who walk through the door. They provide helpful reminders to social distance and mask up and will be providing care packages to those who need them. These packages are stocked with reusable masks, disposable gloves, and helpful information regarding the university’s guidelines regarding COVID-19. With this new initiative comes new challenges, of course. Joshua says that communication is key, but with the conditions brought on by the pandemic, it’s difficult to keep up with constant emails and Zoom calls.
If you would like to get involved with the C19 Ambassadors, Joshua says there is always room for more participants. They are accepting applications throughout the year. University community members can find the C19 Ambassador page on the Forum to get involved.
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