WAU Attends Summer Camp Meetings

This summer, Washington Adventist University decided to move outreach endeavors to camp meetings across the Columbia and Atlantic Unions. This was a plan of action by President Weymouth Spence and the administration to expand WAU’s presence and branding throughout the Columbia Union and beyond. Teams were selected to participate and represent WAU at the various conference camp meetings, including staff members from the offices of Integrated Marketing & Communication, Admissions and Student Life and a group of students from the Student Ambassadors program, to connect with attendees and promote the university’s programs and scholarships to potential students. One of the main incentives to promote was a new scholarship at WAU, which offers all Seventh-day Adventist members of the Columbia Union a flat tuition rate of $12,000 per year. 

Dr Ralph Johnson, WAU Vice President for Student Life (back left) along with the WAU Student Ambassadors (standing back right) and Admissions Representatives (seated) at Potomac Conference camp meeting at Sligo Church. Persons interacting with WAU Student Ambassador at the Greater New York Conference Hispanic camp meeting.Everett Wiles, WAU Vice President of Integrated Marketing and Communication (right) speaking to the audience in the main auditorium at the Greater New York Conference Hispanic camp meeting. WAU Student Ambassador Carlos Rosario (left) translates. WAU Admissions Recruiter Ross Patterson (right) interacting with young people at the Southern New England Conference camp meeting.

From the start of the camp meetings in June, the teams branched out to several camp meetings—the Northeastern Conference, the Ohio Conference, the Allegheny East Conference, the Chesapeake Conference, the Pennsylvania Conference, and the Potomac Conference camp meetings. At each camp meeting, the WAU team set up booths to promote the university and gave out materials, including WAU T-shirts that quickly became a favorite amongst the attendees. In setting up these stations, the WAU team had the chance to speak with several of the attendees, mainly the younger demographic, and introduce them to the programs at WAU. The team was also able to connect with several alumni who came to introduce themselves and reminisced about their time at WAU. Several student ambassadors were also allowed to actively participate in the meetings, from leading out in song service, small group discussions, and some afternoon activities. 

Patrick Farley, WAU Executive Vice President for Finance cutting and serving watermelon to the attendees at the Mountain View Conference camp meeting.  Attendees at the Mountain View Conference camp meeting enjoying slices of watermelon. WAU Team at the Alleghany East Conference Camp Meeting

Mrs. Briana Warner, a team member from Financial Aid, expressed that she was excited to have been able to work with the WAU team and speak with prospective and accepted students in person. VP Ralph Johnson, who helped organize this initiative, also created the Student Ambassadors program to ensure that students could be represented at the meetings and share their WAU experiences with other young adults.  

WAU Admissions Financial Aid Representative Briana Warner (seated) and WAU Student Ambassadors interacting with young people at the North Eastern Conference camp meeting.

When asked about the experience, one of the student ambassadors, Gopi Sunkara, felt the current students being there provided prospective students with a window into both the active academic and social opportunities available at WAU. Because of this, several potential students interested in nursing, athletics, music, and other programs also gained insight into renewed programs like the pre-law program in the Honors College, which recently formed a partnership with the University of Baltimore that will help students to get into law school at a faster and more cost-effective rate. 

WAU Student Ambassadors engaging with other young people at the Ohio Conference camp meeting.WAU Student Ambassadors participating in the program at the Ohio Conference Camp Meeting

The student ambassadors also benefited from this experience. As Gopi further explained, “This was my first ambassador trip, so it was good to learn how to approach students…It was a good learning experience because public speaking has always been something I want more experience [in] and opportunities where I can improve those skills.” According to Henrique Da Silva, another student ambassador, they got to “connect with people from different parts of the US…” and hear about others’ spiritual experiences. “I am glad I got to go to the camp meeting,” he said, “and I will write my name down to go again next year.” Chaplain Jason Dietz noted, “Watching our students up there—confident in representing WAU—was really exciting to see. To see them working together as a team, feeding off of each other, and really representing the university in a way that the university should be represented, it was really encouraging to see that and to see them connect with each other and the people they were presenting to.”