If you’re a student taking classes on the Downtown campus, then you might be familiar with the Downtown Phoenix Ambassadors.
These men and women travel around the downtown area, wearing bright orange shirts emblazoned with the words “Ambassador” and “Ask Me!” on the back. Their purpose is to help serve people who might be lost or possibly have a question about anything related to downtown Phoenix.
Samantha Jackson, the program manager, said the ambassadors’ goal is to make an impact. Their biggest push is in hospitality, and they pride themselves on having the best customer service available.
But aside from answering the questions of downtown visitors and directing them to Phoenix restaurants (hot topics for ambassadors, said Jackson), the ambassadors are a great resource for ASU students in the area. A tremendously helpful service for students is the walking escort service that the ambassadors provide. Jackson said that the ASU area is made a priority at night.
While ASU has safety measures in place for students on the Downtown campus, the ambassadors’ presence adds to the peace of mind.
When I needed to take a bus I was unfamiliar with, an ambassador who was close by helped me make sure I was on the right track.
Although part of the job, the escort service, as well as the simple presence of ambassadors, is one way they are giving back to the community. It is absolutely fantastic that students can come to this campus from around the country — and around the world — and have a staff of ambassadors ready to assist them in becoming acclimated to the downtown area.
Students and faculty of ASU are a large part of the downtown area crowd now, so the fact that the ambassadors recognize that and respond to it is really a great thing.
If anyone is ever anxious about visiting or taking classes downtown, they can put their minds at ease. The ambassadors are a fantastic asset to the downtown area for everyone. If this service could be expanded to other cities in Arizona, like Tempe, it would be valuable, especially for students.
For those of us on the Downtown campus, we are lucky to have such a great service right at our fingertips.
Share any great places you’ve discovered downtown with me at mmattox@asu.edu