Beth Goetting P\u201928 and Mark Gizzi P\u201928 know what it\u2019s like to receive a warm Macalester welcome. When their son, Aaron Gizzi \u201928, was getting ready to head off to college, a Summer Send-Off event hosted by local Parent Ambassadors gave their family a chance to connect with other incoming parents and students. That experience inspired them to pay it forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now serving as Parent Ambassadors themselves, Mark and Beth host events and connect with prospective and incoming families in the San Francisco Bay Area. We spoke with the couple about their work as Mac ambassadors, and how Aaron\u2019s experience has given them plenty to talk about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We are proud to represent Mac and have found it easy to do so for a number of reasons. We think highly of the education and college experience that Aaron is having at Macalester. It has also been our impression that students and parents, particularly those from the Bay Area, are interested in and intrigued by the college\u2019s steadfast commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and social justice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We have the opportunity, in our conversations with both the students and parents, to highlight the many academic, study away, and extracurricular programs at Mac. We also enjoy sharing how Mac is unique in its commitment to providing students with a rigorous liberal arts education that emphasizes the importance of diversity, global citizenship, and service to society. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aaron spent his childhood living abroad and moving often because of his father\u2019s job with USAID. As such, he is quite worldly and is able to adapt easily to new cultures and environments. However, security concerns\u2014along with COVID-19\u2014prevented him from having as much independence and freedom as perhaps many American teenagers. At Mac, Aaron has made up for lost time, embracing the independence he is afforded at the school. As a result, Aaron has grown a lot in his two years at Mac, gaining more self-confidence and a better sense of who he is, what it is he values, and how he wants to live his life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Join us as Parent Ambassadors. It\u2019s a great chance to meet fellow Mac families and help facilitate community. If you\u2019re considering it, reach out to the parent and family engagement team\u2014the staff are incredibly welcoming and make being an ambassador easy and rewarding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n