The Office of Family Engagement is seeking Terp-loving, enthusiastic, dynamic, and all-around awesome undergraduate students to serve as Family Weekend Ambassadors. This is a great short-term & paid leadership opportunity to help students and their families attending Family Weekend (plus earn a stipend and some Terp swag in the process)! Learn more about the Family Weekend Ambassador position and how to apply below.
Details about Family Weekend 2026, including the full schedule, are available on the Family Weekend website.
Responsibilities
- Before Family Weekend:
- Staff training from 3:00-6 p.m. on Friday, September 19
- Registration preparation from 5-10 p.m. on Monday, September 21
- During Family Weekend:
- Serve in multiple capacities from Friday, September 25, through Sunday, September 27.
- Greet and assist families at check-in
- Event set up and break down
- Monitor events and engage with attendees
- Participate in programs and events for families and students as needed to support Family Weekend.
- Serve as an ambassador of the Office of Family Engagement, the Division of Student Affairs, and the University of Maryland.
- Other duties as assigned.
- Serve in multiple capacities from Friday, September 25, through Sunday, September 27.
Requirements
- Registered, undergraduate degree-seeking student at the University of Maryland, College Park.
- Have completed at least 24 credit hours by August 2026.
- Good academic standing.
- Good judicial/conduct standing.
- Excellent communication skills and prior experience in a team setting (thorough knowledge of UMD preferred).
- Be available for the entirety of Family Weekend.
- Friday, September 25: 3 - 9 p.m. (we welcome all available staff beginning at noon)
- Saturday, September 26: 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. (dependent on kickoff time)
- Sunday, September 27: 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Compensation
- $350 stipend following Family Weekend; returning FWAs receive a $400 stipend.
- Two UMD t-shirts as part of Friday and Saturday uniforms, plus other Terp swag.
- $35 Terrapin Express funds for meals on Friday evening, Saturday morning, and Saturday evening; other meals will be provided during Family Weekend events. Meals will also be provided during staff training (Sept. 19) and registration preparation (Sept. 21).
Apply
Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, August 21.
When completing the application, be prepared to:
- Confirm your availability
- List employment/involvement information
- Provide two references
- Respond to the following questions:
- What personal qualities or experiences would make you a strong and unique addition to the Family Weekend Ambassador team?
- How would these strengths help you connect with families and staff during Family Weekend?
- Why do you believe Family Weekend is meaningful for students and their families? How do you see your role as an ambassador contributing to that experience?
- Have you previously attended Family Weekend? If yes, what were your impressions of the weekend?
- FREE SPACE (no word limit): We’d love to get to know you beyond what’s already in your application. If there’s something meaningful about who you are (your personality, background, values, interests, or experiences, etc.) that you haven’t had a chance to share yet, feel free to tell us here. This is an open space for anything you think helps us better understand you as a person.
Responses to each essay question should be no more than 150 words and free of grammatical and spelling errors. It is a good idea to draft your responses in a word processing program (MS Word, Google Doc) and then copy and paste the content into the application. For assistance with the essay questions, we encourage you to utilize the UMD Writing Center.
Questions
For questions, contact Jennifer Valdez or Danielle Walker.