AMELIE SEDLACK / FEATURE EDITOR

Students blurry in blue lead groups of prospective students and their parents holding a pamphlet about USD and seeing the campus for the first time. Torero Tour Guides are the students leading tours for prospective students here at USD. 

Many students at USD already had an experience with a Torero Tour Guide before committing to USD, but some students on campus decide to keep touring, becoming tour guides themselves. These guides are responsible for selling the school to prospective students through their own experiences here at USD, sharing what the University has to offer and what might be unique for future Toreros. 

Diego Torero poses with a group of Torero Tour Guides. Photo courtesy of @usdadmissions/Instagram

USD sophomore Sam Pesiri has been a tour guide since his freshman year. Pesiri gave his reasons for wanting to be a tour guide at USD. 

“In my family, tour guides were always such a fun character to play with,” Pesiri stated. “And you think of what a tour guide is: trying to sell the college and give statistics and stuff. I guess I really wanted to become one because when I came to USD, the people that showed it to me were fantastic. The school is beautiful and it has so many great people and I  figured  if  I can be at all part of that, that  would be a meaningful way to have an impact on future people who are looking to come.” 

A tour guide is often a prospective student’s first point of connection at a school, so tour guides must be able to effectively communicate all that might attract new students.  

USD sophomore Gabe Ambrose has also been a tour guide for a year now. He was given a personal tour by an alumni of his high school and the personal connection that he felt on his tour is what he hopes to bring to all of his tours. 

“There’s something really special about being the first connection that a person makes to  an academic institution, especially when you’re making that next big step in your life,” Ambrose explained. “When you make that college decision you make a choice not off the stats but that personal connection you have, that feeling you have on campus … That’s the kind of tour that I’d like to give other people. That feeling of being at home here at USD.” 

The job of a tour guide at USD is to show off the campus while explaining all aspects of USD. Because of this, students from all backgrounds, majors, interests and clubs are welcome to apply to show off the diverse range of students and interests here on campus. 

Pesiri explained what it feels like to be part of this diverse tour guide community. 

“It might be one of the most fun communities on campus,” Pesiri said. “The people who do the tour guiding are such a solid group. It’s really fun because you have all kinds of people from a ton of different extracurriculars, they’re playing sports, or they’re on the surf team, or they’re involved in [University Ministry]. There’s all these people from all over that really get together and love this school because they’re showing it off.”

Ambrose also shared how he feels to be part of the community of tour guides. 

“It just feels like such an awesome family too,” Ambrose shared. “You’re only giving tours by yourself but somehow, you feel this sense of community with who you’re giving tours with, with other people who are not even giving tours at the same time.”

The application process to be a Torero Tour Guide is a rigorous process in order to accommodate the large number of applicants. Part of the initial application is to create a 60  second video explaining why you want to become a tour guide for USD. After a student is accepted past the first stage, they enter into the group interviews where a group of applicants are interviewed all together. Next, is the one-on-one interviews between the applicant and those in charge of accepting students.  

Pesiri talked about his experience with the application process. 

“Being a tour guide is an on campus job and the application has multiple steps, obviously because you’re vetting for people that you want to represent the school, especially to prospective students,” Pesiri said. “It’s somewhat pressure but it felt like deserved pressure because you’re looking to enter a community to be in something bigger than yourself and that takes qualified, good people who are genuine and have candor. Overall it was good.” 

Ambrose shared how the application process made him feel, explaining that the first couple steps  made  him  very  nervous  as he thought hard about the process and making sure his interviews were as perfect as possible. 

“It was absolutely gut wrenching,” Ambrose shared. “Scary. Very, very scary. Then you get to do your personal, one-on-one interview and there I feel like I was really able to come to life and talk to all of my unique experiences of being an international student, being part of all the things I do on campus.”

Many tour guides have something  they do to make the tour experience more memorable to prospective students and parents. 

Ambrose shared what he does on his tours to make his tours unique. 

“Usually when I’m giving tours I zone in fully to the people I’m giving tours to,” Ambrose explained. “I have to tell them to ask questions, too. Often my line is  ‘It’s  okay,  you  can come closer. I promise I don’t bite. Soon you will warm up to me’ … I talk about my research experiences — being able to travel. I talk about my resident assistance job and how much I love being a first-year RA …  all  those  unique  anecdotes.”

Ambrose continued, explaining the feeling he gets when giving a tour. 

“It feels like, when I’m giving a tour that it’s a full circle moment,” Ambrose said. “It reinvigorates my purpose of being a student here on campus.”

USD junior Aileen Solis shared her experience with tours both as a prospective student and seeing them around USD. 

“I didn’t pay much attention to tours  back  then,” Solis said. “Now, it’s interesting to hear that they talk about everything. They talk about research they do in Shiley or Greek Life. It’s nice that they don’t just talk about academics.” 

Torero Tour Guides are a unique group of students on campus from all backgrounds and interests who have come together through a love of their chosen school. They work hard to share their experiences with all prospective students and make  sure  that  everyone will find a place here on campus. These students will be the first connection for many new Toreros and they make sure that connection is strong with the short time they are given. 

A Torero Tour Guide gives a tour of USD, stopping outside the Student Life Pavilion. Hailey Howell/The USD Vista