The flight attendant program is a rather ambiguous one here at Ashland University. Many students know it exists but are unsure how it works, and even less are sure how it came about. T.J. Shannon is the senior admissions representative for the university, and oversees the student admissions employees, as well as the volunteer flight attendant program.

There are two types of students who work within the admissions office. There are tour guides, paid student employees of the office of admissions, and then there are flight attendants, student volunteers who assist the admissions office during large events. 

According to Shannon, flight attendants are there to volunteer for the admissions office, nothing more. 

“I don’t want people to think the flight attendant program is just for becoming a tour guide,” he said.

Shannon separates the tour guides and the flight attendants quite clearly. For him, tour guides are paid employees of the university. However, flight attendants are volunteers, free to come and go as they please. Flight attendants have the option to attend and assist with as many events as they please. Tour guides, as employees, have obligations and responsibilities to the university.

Some of these things are factors Shannon considers to be the perks of being a flight attendant instead of being a tour guide. The program was originally created to allow individuals the ability to experience and test out what it is like to work for the admissions office.

A trial run can be important for students, as working for the admissions office can be difficult. For example, the tour guides have to undergo training to work with school databases, as well as spend time trainings throughout the year. Also, tour guides need to be present for every admissions event, a big time commitment. 

“The flight attendant program without being a tour guide has its own benefits,” Shannon said. 

According to Shannon, the flight attendant program is a learning experience and a resume builder. More than that, though, he stresses that the flight attendant program is designed for students who want to positively represent AU.

The flight attendant program is not a funded program. This means that they receive no money from Student Life. The only money spent on the program is money for t-shirts, which comes from the Admissions budget. Admissions brings on flight attendants at the beginning of each semester and hires tour guides at the end of each semester.

The flight attendant program is about placing individuals in an atmosphere for success. It is about allowing students to see if they are interested in being a tour guide. It is about letting students volunteer around a schedule that fits them. It is about giving students an opportunity to build their resume. Finally, the flight attendant program is about allowing students to show that they care about representing AU.