When it comes to loving Georgia Tech, Tess Denniss, a fourth-year undergraduate in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE) and president of the Georgia Tech Student Ambassadors, has many students beat. She leads over 80 student ambassadors who give tours for alumni and special guests, work noteworthy events, and generally serve as the face of the Institute.  

Denniss’ responsibilities as president include finding speakers, generating programming, communicating with the ambassadors, meeting with advisors, and overseeing duties of the vice presidents. Working to strengthen relations with the Alumni Association is one of Denniss’ top priorities. The organization aims to showcase Georgia Tech on alumni tours by highlighting the elements on campus that remain the same, such as the famous Whistle, and the aspects that have changed, such as the brand-new library. 

Student ambassadors have a great duty to represent Georgia Tech. They host some big names on campus when they work the President’s Dinner, advisory board events, and Board of Trustees events. The tours they conduct are intended to present the best face of the Institute to special guests. A Georgia Tech Student Ambassador is someone who truly loves Georgia Tech, has a diversity of involvements, and can get people excited about Tech.

“My favorite aspect of being president has been helping younger ambassadors with their own personal and professional development, the same way older ambassadors helped me when I first joined," she said.

Denniss noted the importance of her ISyE education to her involvement in this organization. “It’s almost like a manufacturing line,” she explained. “You go down the line with the new ambassador retreat, and then the training from your meetings, and then social experiences. You come out a fully formed ambassador, ready to represent the Institute to visitors and guests.”  

When sharing what Georgia Tech Student Ambassadors means to her, Denniss explained, “Being able to interact with our amazing alumni of has shown me the lifelong value of a Georgia Tech degree. I’ve seen firsthand examples of the sort of alumna I want to be when I graduate — involved with Tech, always willing to help current students, and appreciative of the Institute.”  

The next step for Denniss after graduating this May is working at McKinsey as a full-time business analyst. There, she will continue to emulate the value of a Georgia Tech education and the value of her role in Student Ambassadors. She says, “I want to have the Institute as a part of my life for the rest of my life.”