IHS AMBASSADORS

Indiana Area Senior High School

By ELLA MOSCO

The IHS AMBASSADORS are a vital group in our school. Every year the Ambassadors reach out to teachers for recommendations of students that have the potential to become an ambassador. From there the students who were recommended, receive an email to let them know that they were recommended to be an ambassador for IHS.

When asked what exactly an ambassador is, Maura Knepper described the responsibilities of the ambassadors. “IHS Ambassadors is a program that mainly works to welcome and support incoming new students and 9th graders. When a new student enters the district, they are assigned ambassadors who will welcome them, show them around the building, be there to answer questions, and take on the role of a first friend and someone who can be looked to for support and guidance at the school. We also run the beginning of the year 9th Grade Orientation and Welcome Day at which we welcome incoming 9th Graders and new students to the Senior High. Our team includes around 70 students in 10th, 11th, and 12th grade, and we are currently in the process of onboarding and training the next group of Ambassadors.”

Ambassadors play a big role in keeping the school community all together, in ways most of us couldn’t. To become an ambassador you have to have important characteristics. Knepper explains important characteristics they have, and how the onboarding team selects the students who would be best of fit to the group.

“Ambassadors recruits on a teacher recommendation basis, through which students who are recommended by one or more of their teachers as someone who is kind, trustworthy, and willing to go out of their way to help others have the chance to attend an information meeting, meet current ambassadors, and then apply to become an ambassador themselves. Following that, our Onboarding team reviews applications and selects the next class of Ambassadors. The selection process, which is currently underway, is very competitive, and we know we often have to turn down many worthy candidates as we only accept 25-30 of those who apply to become ambassadors. Having been selected, new Ambassadors are paired with older Ambassador mentors who will guide and support them as they take on this new role in our school, specifically by running a mock tour that gives them the chance to practice welcoming a new student and showing them around the building under the guidance of an experienced Ambassador. Inductees also attend a training meeting where we cover what they should expect as an ambassador and different topics and scenarios that are important to be prepared for.”

Junior Ambassador Caleb Campbell commented, “Ambassadors come from all sorts of different friend groups, interests, and programs at IHS. During the onboarding process, we always try to get a wide variety of people whether they be an athlete or drama member so they can help new students that may have similar interests. Some important traits to have as an ambassador are empathy, kindness, respect, and reliability just to name a few. I’m always an advocate of our ambassadors being really reliable and being able to respond to emails about new students so we don’t have to scramble to find an ambassador. Being able to persevere even after being rejected or pushed away by a new student is another really important quality too.”

“If you’re interested in learning more about what the IHS Ambassadors do in our school, feel free to reach out to our advisor, Mr. Neil, our President, Isaac Myers, or Vice President, Maura Knepper.”

You May Also Like...

Honoring those who have served

By Zoey Motto A person’s service does not simply end when they retire, or leave the military. There are reminders everyday of their courage and bravery from the stars and stripes that fly high, to the people around them. The things they learned are still with them as they carry it through life, and pass on to those around them. When IHS Paraprofessional Randy Sell was posed the question, ‘What is your biggest take away from your time in service?,’ he replied “Anything you put your mind to can be accomplished, pay attention to details, make it happen.” We all know to thank those around us on Veterans Day, but many don’t know how the day came to be. It began when WWI, also called The Great War, ended. It had ended on the 11th hour, of the 11th day of the 11th month of the year. President Woodrow Wilson

November 25, 2025

Teachers in training: IHS launches new Rising Educators Program

By Bella Flores There are many things that make IHS an amazing place to be, but the biggest reason is our teachers. ICTC recently partnered with IHS to start up the new Rising Educators program. This is a program that is based at IHS that provides students a head start at an education to become teachers. This program is open to all schools that qualify for the ICTC program. The program is run by IHS Family and Consumer Sciences teachers Mrs. Sarah Juart and Mrs. Marianne Brady. Similarly to how students attend ICTC, students participating in the program attend IHS for half of their academic day. The Rising Educators Program is an extension of the IHS child development class. In this program, students learn about child development, the process of becoming a teacher, and even get hands-on experience teaching as they run a preschool that is based in IHS. The

November 19, 2025

IHS students advocate for heart health on Capitol Hill

By Gabi Isenberg Two IHS students, junior Liliana Manzi and senior Gabrielle Isenberg, traveled to Washington, D.C. to attend the American Heart Association’s Hearts on the Hill event on Oct. 27 and 28. Hearts on the Hill included volunteer advocates of all ages from across the country. 47 states were represented. Their mission was to urge members of the United States Congress to fund the HEARTS Act – a bill that was passed unanimously last year and provides grants to schools for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training, automated external defibrillator (AED) access, and the implementation of cardiac emergency response plans. The goal is to equip all students and staff with the knowledge and tools to respond in the event of a cardiac emergency, like sudden cardiac arrest. Sudden cardiac arrest is an unexpected and quick loss of heart function. Victims are unable to breath and do not have a pulse. Those

October 31, 2025

The spooky season is upon us at IHS

By Alexis Nyland Today, Halloween has become a holiday focused on community and children’s activities such as trick-or-treating, carving pumpkins, festive parties, and dressing up in costumes. The holiday evolved over centuries, incorporating Christian traditions, the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, and later modern practices from Irish and Scottish immigrants. The ancient Celtic festival of Samhain was celebrated on Nov. 1 and marked the end of summer and the harvest. The Celts believed that on Oct. 31, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred, allowing ghosts of the dead to return. To ward off the evil spirits, Celts lit bonfires and wore costumes, often made of animal skins. The tradition of trick-or-treating evolved from a medieval European custom called “souling,” where the poor would beg for soul cakes in exchange for prayers. It also grew out of the Irish custom of “guising,” where a

October 31, 2025

Facilitating learning at every level: Fulbright Scholars Program returns to IHS

By Gabi Isenberg For several years, Indiana Area Senior High School has welcomed Fulbright Scholars hosted by the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. On Sept. 10, 2025, this year’s group of educators began their weekly visits to the Senior High, which concluded on Oct. 15. The end of their visit is accompanied by the annual Cultural Fair that showcases the different customs and traditions of the scholars. The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program was established by Congress in 1946 “to increase mutual understanding and support friendly and peaceful relations between the people of the United States and the people of other countries,” according to the organization’s website. Educators from the United States, as well as educators from other countries, participate in this exchange to learn from teachers in different areas of the world. IUP has been chosen as a hosting institution for ten years in a row. The High Arrow was able

October 17, 2025

Long story short, we need TS12

By Anna Carnovale Singer and songwriter Taylor Swift announced her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, on the Kelce Brothers’ New Heights podcast back in August. Swift has recently announced her engagement to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, a co-host on the show. After a countdown scheduled to go off on Aug 13 was posted on Taylor Swift’s Instagram, Swift fans, also known as “swifties,” started to speculate the release of Swift’s twelfth album, T.S. 12. When the countdown hit zero, the New Heights Podcast containing the album announcement, the album cover, and the release date was revealed. The album is set to be released worldwide at midnight on Oct 3 on all streaming platforms. Social media has exploded with excitement, anticipation, and theories. Fans everywhere are gearing up to learn more about her new album, and social media is only fueling the excitement. Swifties all

October 7, 2025