Leading With Purpose: Ambassadors Shape Their Mission

Ravenscroft Ambassadors represent all aspects of school life, showcasing our community through their lens as students in the Upper School.

Whether they are leading tours for prospective families, "adopting” an advisory to help bridge the gap between our current eighth-graders and the Upper School, helping at community events or serving as shadow buddies for visiting applicants, Ambassadors show up and represent the best of Ravenscroft.

Here, Associate Director of Enrollment Management Chuck Vitello explores recent work the group undertook to define their purpose with a mission statement — an exercise that invited them to lean on their citizen leadership competencies.

Over the course of four engaging sessions, the Upper School Student Ambassadors worked to craft a mission statement that defines their role within the school community. As their advisors, my Admissions colleague Whitney Holmes and I had the privilege of guiding them through this process, and we could not be more proud of their dedication, collaboration and leadership.

The journey began with an exploration of what a mission statement is and why it holds significance. The process started with students reading Ravenscroft’s own mission statement.  As they used this example throughout the process, it became evident to Whitney and me how aware of the school’s mission our students actually are and how much it ultimately inspired their work going forward.  

In the first session, students learned about the essential elements of a mission statement, such as label, verb, for whom, and result or benefit. With this foundational knowledge, they reflected on the purpose of an Ambassador, identified their audience and considered long-term goals.

We discussed how a mission statement provides focus, guides actions, establishes standards and attracts new members to the program. Using the Leading With Others competencies of Lead From Here, the students began with a brainstorming session, compiling over 60 keywords that they believed encapsulated the essence of being a Ravenscroft Ambassador. When these words were visualized in a word cloud, “community” stood out as the most frequently mentioned term. That was no surprise to Whitney and me, as community is the heart of Ravenscroft’s mission and legacy. 

Clockwise from top left: The word cloud created by initial brainstorming; a list of keywords used to begin formulating phrases that describe Ambassadors’ role; a breakout group discussing the three statements being considered for the group’s mission statement 

With this list of words compiled, the second session focused on crafting sentences that captured the Ambassadors’ mission. The students broke up into five smaller groups and used the keywords to formulate 15 phrases that described their role and purpose. Through teamwork and refinement, they ensured that each phrase reflected the values they uphold as Ambassadors.

The third session was dedicated to taking the best components of those phrases and narrowing them down to three options for the mission statement. This required vision, strategy, collaboration and consensus-building, embodying Lead From Here skills that will serve them well in their academic and professional futures.

In our fourth and final session, the students distilled their ideas into a single, powerful mission statement that embodies their vision and purpose:

As Ravenscroft Ambassadors, we strive to foster a welcoming and supportive atmosphere for current and prospective members of the Ravenscroft community.

Through this process, the Ambassadors gained an appreciation for the effort and thought required to craft a meaningful mission statement — even though mission statements are typically a sentence or two. The students now recognize the depth of consideration, time and collaboration necessary to effectively articulate their values and purpose.

Here’s what a few of them had to say about the process:

It was a great experience to work with my fellow Ambassadors together to thoughtfully form the best mission statement possible. I extremely enjoyed being a part of that process and enjoy being a Student Ambassador here. 

— Omar Khan ’27

Participating in the discussions deepened my understanding of our values and the collective vision we share as Ravenscroft Ambassadors. I believe our efforts to engage and support each other actively are essential in cultivating a vibrant Ravenscroft community. Working together to define and open doors for future and current Ravenscroft students is truly a special opportunity. 

— Hallie Eichler ’26

Whitney and I are so impressed with the work these students have accomplished in such a short period of time. Their commitment to leadership and service is inspiring, and their efforts will have a lasting impact on the Ravenscroft community for years to come, helping future Ambassadors continue to foster a welcoming and supportive environment for the Ravenscroft community.