ASUW is launching a new outreach program Oct. 16, geared toward creating leaders out of this year’s freshmen.

ASUW Ambassadors, the six-seminar course freshmen can apply online to attend, is an attempt not only to cultivate greater involvement in ASUW clubs and associations, but to train new students so they can make the most of that involvement.

“We want students to get involved as soon as they want to and have a positive college experience,” said Timothy Mensing, co-director of the program. “We’ll help guide them toward what best suits their interests.”

Approximately 50 freshmen will be accepted into Ambassadors based on the six-part questionnaire they will fill out online before Oct. 9. Applicants chosen will be paired up with a personal ASUW faculty mentor, such as the Experimental College Director or the Rainy Dawg Radio Station Manager.

This mentor, Mensing explained, will provide freshmen greater contact with various ASUW communities — beyond those kiosks near the HUB — so that getting involved won’t be so daunting.

“Every single ASUW club is connected to Ambassadors,” said Mensing. “You get the training, plus you get easy outlets to apply the training.”

The six weekly seminars will be taught by Director of First Year Programs Grant Kollet, Director of Student Activities and Union Facilities Lincoln Johnson, communications graduate students and various ASUW leaders. They will focus mainly on students’ individual values and how those apply to leadership philosophy, community involvement and working with others to accomplish goals.

How a student can improve group dynamic is a key aspect of the training.

The Ambassadors program will be pitched to freshmen in their Freshman Interest Groups. This approach varies from what many freshmen have experienced in the past, where they walked through club-huts and hawkers stationed near the HUB at the start of every quarter.

Senior Nick Bernardi said he did not feel encouraged to participate in ASUW organizations when he came to college almost four years ago.

“There were signs, I guess,” said Bernardi. “And people handing out flyers. The clubs just didn’t seem like I would gain anything out of them if I joined.”

Molly Elfers, another senior, echoed Bernardi as she recounted her experience at the outset of college.

“For the most part I was completely unaware of any ASUW club opportunities,” she said.

However, she also mentioned she does not think she would have been interested in a program such as Ambassadors during her freshman fall quarter.

“At that point I was focusing on school,” Elfers said. “And a major extracurricular activity like that would have been too much for my schedule.”

Elfers does believe that most students are, or were, generally uninformed about leadership opportunities through ASUW. Looking back, she wishes she’d been more involved.

“There are a lot of changes on campus I’d like to see happen,” she said.

Mensing acknowledges these problems from the past and believes Ambassadors is a turn in the right direction.

“When people get here, it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle,” he said. “This new program is very unique, nothing’s really been done at the UW like it before. We want this to help set the stage for a successful and positive college experience and future.”

Interested freshman can apply for Ambassadors before Oct. 9 at https://catalysttools.washington.edu/webq/survey/asuwlead/61430.

Reach reporter Camden Swita at news@dailyuw.com.