It was terrific to get 
to spend an hour with 
the student ambassadors 
tonight here we are on 
a rainy night on campus 
and we had a fabulous turnout
 and a very enthusiastic 
turn out as well 
these student ambassadors
 are super stars here at JMU
 and they really live up 
to their names as ambassadors
 for the university they’re 
really well informed and 
well engaged in the life of 
the university so it was a
 terrific and energizing 
conversation it was refreshing 
to hear students reflecting 
on in a very mature way 
the educational benefits 
they get here at JMU 
starting with those faculty 
interactions that the students
 recognize the quality of the faculty
 and the fact that the faculty 
who come here want to teach
 they want to engage with the 
students they want to get to know 
them as individuals 
that was striking to hear
 form a students perspective 
that they recognize that 
and they value that and 
certainly all aspects of their education
 like Gen Ed that students 
realize this is helping me 
even if its not what I think I want 
to major in or what I 
want to do with the 
rest of  my life I can see
 that Gen Ed that that type 
of liberal arts education 
is going to help prepare me 
for the working world 
and to develop 
communications skills 
and critical thinking skills 
so I was delighted to hear 
the students acknowledge 
the importance of that in their 
own education it was nice 
to hear students recognize 
that its not just about labels
 or perceptions of quality that 
you some times hear about rankings
 of school that have been around 
for hundred of years but JMU 
really does stand for something 
special and I think they 
get that one of the things 
we heard is this not a place
 where everybody has to 
take the same path or have 
the same educational journey 
that we have the flexibility 
we’re an innovative school 
were if a student wants to do
 something a little different 
with their education while they’re
 here which might include 
undergraduate research it might 
include community engagement it 
might include something like participating
 in JMU teach they’re can do those 
things here and we welcome and 
value that and we welcome their 
suggestions from students about 
thinking about majors and pathways
 here while they’re at JMU and that feedback
 is really valuable because we want
 this to be a meaningful experience 
for students we don’t expect everybody
 to take a cookie cutter approach to their education 
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