Page 7 of It Started with a Sunset
“Well, yes.And...” She dragged the word out like she was trying to build excitement. “Haley sent me a message this morning asking if she could get out of her Ambassador duties this morning because she’s overwhelmed with school. I thought it wouldn’t be until day three or four before we’d get our chance to lead a tour group, but we get ittoday.”
He couldn’t help but glance down at her teal heels with the chunky straps.
She waved her hand like she was waving away his concerns. “Oh, don’t worry, Mr. Rule Follower. I keep a pair of adorable ‘sensible shoes’ for times like this. So are you excited? Be in the main meeting room at ten-thirty. It’s going to be fun!”
Then, as quickly as she had appeared in his doorway, she was gone again. But she’d actually left behind a little bit of that excitement. Enough that he found himself smiling and possibly looking forward to the tour.
But then he looked back at his to-do list. He’d have to work extra fast to get all he had planned done today in his quickly diminishing time.
* * *
When Brock steppedinto the main room at ten twenty-nine, fifteen people, sitting in groups of two or three, were in the first three rows of chairs, facing the screen. Summer and Elle were just finishing the presentation about the school.
He stood next to Leo, a black kid starting his second year as an ambassador. Brock remembered helping him with scholarships before he started at LBSU. He was a smart kid who loved people and hated essay writing, so Brock had recommended that he go to the nine-day Leadership Academy the Welcome Center hosted and to apply for an ambassador position as a way to get a scholarship. It had been a good call.
“Okay,” Summer said, pointing at various prospective students sitting in the chairs, “You three will be going on a tour with Leo.”
Leo raised his hand and stepped forward.
“They’re all considering education-related majors.” Summer turned back to the group. “You’re all in luck because Leo’s working toward his bachelor’s in secondary education.”
The three students that Summer had mentioned, along with the parents for one, a mom and a younger sister for another, and a friend for the third, got up and walked to Leo before he led them out of the room.
“Okay, and you four,” Summer said, spreading her hands wide at the remaining people, which included two prospective students that looked like friends, another with his dad and a fourth with both parents, “get the rare treat of going on the tour with Brock and me.”
Everyone looked over at Brock, so he waved.
“I was an ambassador here for six years, and I’ve worked in the Welcome Center as a recruiter for three. Brock went to school here, too. He was an academic advisor for three years right after he graduated, then he joined the Welcome Center as a recruiter. He’s been the Assistant Director over Financial Aid for a couple of years now. So that pretty much means that we think we have all the answers, and it’s your job to ask all your most burning questions until you stump us.”
Brock chuckled as he saw the looks of determination on their faces.
“Alright, then, let’s head out.”
He mostly let Summer do all the talking. She had probably been an ambassador longer than anyone in Lake Baldwin State University history, and she was a pro. As soon as they stepped out of the Welcome Center into the hall, she talked about all the different places in the Student Center and all the resources available to them. She was great with the students. They seemed to immediately connect with her, and asked questions non-stop, really taking her challenge to heart, apparently.
When they walked past the big metal letters in the lawn just outside of the Student Center that spelled Aquamoose, she told them about how they got their mascot, Baldy the Aquamoose. “A couple was out walking along the path that circles the lake and they said a creature rose out of the water that looked just like a moose, antlers and all, but was much larger and had scales instead of fur. We like to debate here whether he got the nickname ‘Baldy’ because of the scales or because he was spotted in Lake Baldwin.”
The mom in the group raised her hand, and sounding slightly worried, asked, “Do you have many moose around here?”
“Only if you count the stands inside the stadium during a Lake Baldwin State football game.” Summer winked. “As far as real moose, though, we don’t get many at all, which makes spotting one even more of a legend.”
Once they headed toward the library, she said, “Abby, have you decided on a major?”
The blonde high school student shrugged. “Kind of? Actually, I’m having a hard time deciding between Graphic Design and Business Management.”
Summer nodded, walking backward so she was facing the group like it was as natural to her as walking forward. “Are you good at art, drawing, creative stuff?”
“I guess. I mean I really like doing it. I don’t know if I’m good at it.”
The Latina girl walking with her said, “She’s amazing. You’re going to have to trust me on that because Abby never does.”
“Good. That’ll make it much easier. I had graphic design as my major for a semester. I can barely draw stick figures, so I guess I should’ve known it wouldn’t work out.”
All the people in the group chuckled, and so did Brock.
“Business Management is a good one, too. Professor Ryerson is incredible, so if you go for that major, make sure you take some classes from him. I think I learned more from him in the semester that I majored in business management than I did in any other semester.”
Brock’s eyebrows drew together.Huh. So she had two different majors that she only kept for a single semester?
