Building Bridges: MPA Ambassadors and the Value of Community

From which classes to take to where to live while in the program, prospective and admitted students in McCombs’ Master in Professional Accounting program have pressing questions they would like answered before starting their degree. Enter the MPA Ambassadors Program.

For more than a decade, MPA student ambassadors have served as valuable guides to prospective and admitted students, fielding email and LinkedIn messages, phone and Zoom calls, in-person meetings, and campus tours. The volunteer program kicked off with traditional MPAs as ambassadors. This was especially helpful for prospective and admitted MPAs not from Texas; those students had a local to help them figure out a transition to UT. Now, MPA Bridge and Integrated MPA students are also a part of the program, as many prospective students have questions about the program that are best answered by their fellow students.

Jasmin Blas-Mendieta, MPA senior recruiting and admissions officer, notes that the program can play an important part in an admitted student’s decision to enroll in the MPA program. Ambassadors share their experiences in the program and at UT and, often, how much they have enjoyed themselves. “MPA ambassadors have been instrumental in getting students to join the MPA program,” she says.

Two ambassadors share what it’s like to participate in the program.

Craig Haas, Traditional MPA

Being an MPA Ambassador has been my way of giving back to the UT community in the same way past ambassadors supported me on my journey to McCombs. As an ambassador, my responsibility is to be transparent with and encouraging to prospective students and to share my Longhorn pride.

When I was an undergrad at the University of Florida applying to UT, MPA Ambassadors provided me with plenty of guidance about courses, housing, the Austin lifestyle, and even UT traditions. These students were so supportive and gave me that feeling of southern hospitality, which helped me grasp the culture I would be walking into.

Since becoming an ambassador last fall, I’ve had the opportunity to speak with students interested in joining the program. I help them put themselves in my shoes and understand the day-to-day life of an MPA student by describing my classes and how my fellow students like to spend their time together. I am looking forward to taking students on tours throughout the next couple months and showing them what it means to wear burnt orange.

Sonali Chaturvedi, Integrated MPA

I’ve been an ambassador for the last two years, and it’s been a valuable experience. As an ambassador, I get to share my passion for accounting. I have a lot of love for the MPA program and appreciate the opportunities it’s given me, from great classes to valuable internships to help with my job search. (Thanks to my UT experience, I’ll be working for PwC after graduation.)

So, sharing all of that with students considering a UT MPA has been really rewarding. I’ve had great conversations with prospective students in person during coffee chats. Prospective MPAs are interested in hearing about our classes — which ones we really enjoy — what the campus environment is like, and what Austin is like, since MPAs come to UT from a variety of cities and states.

I’ve shared how the professors always have open-door policies — they’re willing and happy to chat and help students learn. I also make sure to share the level of support you get in the program. My biggest tip to students is simple: Join the program.