Have the chance to meet a speaker and have backstage access to the makings of NCYC. My name is Anna, a Senior at the University of Dayton in Ohio, and I was a Youth Ambassador at NCYC 2017. Becoming a youth ambassador is one of the best ways to get the most out of your NCYC experience!
What does a Youth Ambassador Do?
As a youth ambassador, you get to introduce and pray over speakers before their breakout sessions and then close out the session with announcements. This is a unique experience because you get to speak with the speaker one on one and ask how they want to get introduced. You might learn something you didn’t know about your favorite speaker! You also get to speak in front of hundreds of teens on a stage as if you might be a speaker one day. Youth ambassadors also welcome conference attendees into the breakout session and manage the capacity of the room. They help make NCYC youth-led and safe.
What was your favorite part about being a Youth Ambassador?
My favorite part about being an ambassador was the behind-the-scenes look at NCYC. Instead of being just an attendee, I got to meet speakers and be on a stage! There’s not that many people that can say they got to do that at NCYC.
How did becoming a youth ambassador enhance your NCYC experience?
The Youth Ambassador experience helped me become more involved in NCYC. Instead of going to the sessions, I found myself leading the sessions. I had more of a role to play at NCYC than just being a participant. It also made me feel as if I was representing my parish and community at NCYC.
What did you learn or what skills did you acquire as a youth ambassador?
I love to public speak. I am currently a tour guide at the University of Dayton and get the chance to talk to prospective students. Being a Youth Ambassador really helped me practice being in front of a crowd and calmed my nerves when public speaking. There are a ton of people that go to NCYC, so it can be nerve-wracking getting on a stage at first, but it really helped me get used to it; now I do it all the time! If you want to get into public speaking, this is a great way to practice or dip your toes into it. Also, it helps invite other people to NCYC when you get back home.
Do you have a favorite memory from your experience as a Youth Ambassador?
During one of the conferences, I got to introduce a speaker with my friend. At NCYC, attendees usually wear crazy hats to represent their parish or community. Our speaker not only traded hats and took a picture with us but even wore the hat up on stage!
