UTC Student Appointed to the Student Ambassador Program

Tara Milliken, a senior at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, has been appointed to the Student Ambassador Program by the British Council USA.

Milliken, a marketing major, was among 34 students from 30 universities and colleges across the country chosen for the program. The Student Ambassador Program was developed as an innovative way to involve students who have recently studied at a British university in their U.S. university’s study abroad activities.

“Student Ambassadors offer a unique opportunity for fellow students to hear first-hand experiences of what the United Kingdom has to offer through regular events each semester, study abroad fairs and pre-departure orientations,” said Sarah Wolfe, marketing director for the British Council USA.

To become a Student Ambassador, students must have studied at a British university and be nominated by their study abroad or academic advisor. Milliken studied for a year at the University of Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, England. After visiting England in high school, Milliken decided she wanted the chance to live there.

“The sheer excitement of being exposed to so many cultures day after day really opened my eyes to the vast world around me,” Milliken, 20, said. “Appreciation of me freedoms and own culture was enhanced tremendously while I was away from what I had always known. The UK experience was amazing for myself in the way that it has so much to offer.”
Among her official duties as an ambassador, Milliken must promote studying in the UK to American students. She can do this through informational sessions and events on UTC’s campus.

Milliken is the first UTC student to be honored with the award as a study abroad student, according to Hugh Prevost, UTC’s director of cooperative education. Prevost believes Milliken’s experiences has provided a “one up” on the other graduates from the marketing program.

“This ‘unpaid’ award from the British Council gives her an opportunity to sell her experience to other UTC students and to use the experience on her resume to help ‘sell’ herself to an employer,” Prevost said.

There are plans to bring students from the UK to Chattanooga, Prevost said.