Welcome to Miami University

Most Miami University students go about their daily lives unaware of the rich history and captivating stories lying beneath Miami’s surface. However, student tour guides have a different perspective. Tour guides delve deep into the university’s history and culture, offering a look at Miami based on their personal experiences, campus involvements and diverse backgrounds. This perspective provides valuable insight for students considering Miami. 

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Tour guides are the storytellers of Miami, exposing its hidden gems and lesser-known stories. They explore the institution’s past, present and future. 

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Tour guides are paid employees of the Office of Admissions, located in the Shriver Center. The Office of Admissions works with high school student-applicants, while the tour guides work alongside admissions counselors. They also stuff bags with info sheets and t-shirts, work the front desk and answer phone calls.

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The roles of a tour guide vary. Most often, they conduct walking tours with prospective students. They also lead personalized tours for faculty and staff, escort visitors on campus, facilitate “Make it Miami” events and work within the admissions office.

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Elaine Soska, a senior middle childhood education major, is one of these special few.

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“My time as a student tour guide working in the admissions office reminds me of the privilege it is to attend school at Miami and to have the opportunity to meet so many new, kind people,” Soska said.

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When Soska was a first-year, she joined the College of Education, Health and Society Ambassadors, a program that allowed her to engage with prospective students through the admissions team. This involvement fostered her love of working with students and inspired her to become a university tour guide.

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“It is such a rewarding experience to get to be the friendly face that prospective students get to learn from and talk to during this influential time in their lives,” Soska said. “To have the privilege to hear visitors’ stories and what brought them to Miami as well is heartwarming.”

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For Soska, being a part of the students’ journeys and hearing their stories is more than just a job; it’s a deeply fulfilling experience.

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“Every story is different,” Soska said. “Hearing what brings us together and the connections that make our world feel smaller is always the highlight of my week.”

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Soska frequently gets inquiries into the social and cultural aspects of campus life. Many ask questions about how students balance social life in Oxford while maintaining a routine and being involved in school.

“I often inform students that college is what you make of it,” Soska said. “The resources and organizations you seek out will shape your experience, and I encourage students to make educated decisions and to pick organizations that mirror their values.”

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Soska draws from her own experiences when sharing information with students. She offers guidance on various topics, from her favorite vending machines on campus to utilizing the Howe Writing Center. She also shares stories, such as memorable dinners with her MTH151 supplemental instruction group, the residence hall on campus where she met her best friends and her favorite dining hall meal.

The admissions office became Soska’s second home on campus. After completing her first year remotely due to COVID-19, she needed a welcoming community, and the tour guides embraced her wholeheartedly. Speaking to a group of strangers for 75 minutes can be intimidating, but the support of friends and admissions staff has allowed her to step out of her comfort zone and embrace new experiences. 

One of the first questions Soska asks on a tour is how the group learned about Miami. She enjoys hearing about students’ unique experiences — the moments and decisions that led them to Miami — and their goals for their collegiate experience. 

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This question often leads to discussions about how she chose Miami and knew it was the right school for her. Initially, it was a challenging question for her because she had doubts early on about Miami, but over time she realized she had chosen the perfect school for her.

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“My hope is that all prospective students walk away from my tour with a glimpse of the campus and a desire to share in the fond memories I’ve shared with them,” Soska said.

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Her most cherished tour experiences involve conversations with alumni who eagerly recount their fond memories of Miami. Once, she led a campus tour with a man and his granddaughter, a potential Miami student. As a proud Miami Merger, he had a special connection to the institution. His excitement was palpable as he delighted the group with stories of his time on campus.

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His eyes sparkled with nostalgia as he reminisced about his own college days. As they strolled through campus, he eagerly pointed out the buildings where he had attended classes decades ago and marveled at how the campus had transformed over the years.

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“I remember feeling such a sense of pride in our school,” Soska said. “The memories that shape our four years here could have such a lasting impact on the trajectory of our lives and how unique it is that the memories of this campus last generations.”

Cade Houston, a fellow tour guide, is a senior human capital management and leadership major. During his first year, he received an email from the admissions office inquiring about potential student tour guides. Recognizing the significance of his own positive tour experiences during his college search, Houston seized the opportunity to become a tour guide himself.

Houston’s favorite part of leading a campus tour is making people laugh. 

“I love to talk about myself,” Houston said. “I always joke that tour guiding is 75 minutes where families are forced to listen to you talk. They're forced to listen to me talk and laugh — hopefully laugh. I love that part of it.” 

Houston finds great pleasure when students tell him his guidance influenced their decision to choose Miami. He also appreciates the feedback students and their families give him.

“I love to hear from families how they enjoyed the tour,” Houston said. “I love to hear their feedback on how beautiful they think campus was or what they really loved about Miami.” 

Houston has honed his skills as a public speaker, developing a candid and unfiltered communication style while delivering presentations to audiences of over 700 people at the Armstrong Pavilion Center. He measures the effectiveness of a campus tour by evaluating the reactions and responses of the visiting families. 

“Are they laughing at me? Are they asking questions?” Houston said. “Those are the two things that I need to make sure it's a successful tour. because if they're not laughing, if they're not asking questions, it means they are not engaged, and they're bored, which means they probably won't like Miami as a result of it.” 

Uncooperative visitors pose challenges for tour guides by wandering off and exploring areas that tour guides do not showcase, either because they are unimportant or restricted from public access. Sometimes, families will attempt to sneak into residence hall bathrooms, despite that not being a part of the tour, and disturb students. But getting applause at the end of a tour makes even the biggest challenges worth it.

“It always feels great, and you put your hands out like, ‘Oh, guys, stop. It's no big deal. This is my job,’” Houston said. “But honestly, keep the claps coming. I love them.”

Houston's most cherished memory from his time as a student tour guide was when an ordinary day took an unexpected turn. As he led a group of families on a campus tour, the sky suddenly darkened, and ominous clouds opened up with a torrential downpour. The excited chatter of the touring families turned to dismay as they scrambled for cover under any available trees.

Determined to make the best of the situation, Houston kept his composure. He reassured the drenched families that, rain or shine, the tour would go on. He even cracked a few jokes to lighten the mood, but the relentless rain made it challenging to maintain everyone's spirits.

Just as Houston was contemplating how to salvage the tour, a familiar face appeared through the sheets of rain. It was Lindsay, a friend from his residence hall. She was rushing to class, but she had noticed Houston's predicament and approached him with a bright pink umbrella in hand.

“Oh, my God, here you go, Cade,” she said with a warm smile before handing him the umbrella. “You need this more than I do right now.”

With the umbrella now shielding him, Houston continued the tour, feeling grateful for Lindsay's kindness. He assured the touring families he had not orchestrated the umbrella exchange as a clever marketing ploy. They erupted with laughter.

Senior media and communications major and former tour guide Maya Mehlman’s love for Miami was evident to the Office of Admission from the moment they saw her application.

In the second semester of her first year, Mehlman became a student tour guide. To get the position, she created a video presentation to introduce herself. 

She opted for an unconventional approach, producing a rap performance that showcased her deep affection for Miami set to the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” theme song. Such was the admiration for her video within the admissions office that she swiftly bypassed the interview phase and was brought on board immediately.

“It was a fun group of people to be part of,” Mehlman said. “We all knew that it was kind of this nerdy thing to do, and we all just took it and ran with it. I love the tour guide program. I really, really do.”

Although she is no longer a tour guide, Mehlman’s appreciation for Miami made educating others on it easy.

“I always said that my job wasn’t to persuade people, but rather to give them the facts and let them make their own decision,” Mehlman said. “I wanted to be able to give prospective students the reason why I love Miami.”

In her quest for the perfect college, Mehlman embarked on tours of 16 different campuses. Her mother, an alumna of Indiana University, would often remark that none of the campuses they visited could match the beauty of her own alma mater. It became a mantra during their college exploration — until they set foot on Miami’s campus. 

Mehlman’s mom couldn’t help but be captivated by the picturesque surroundings. She gazed in awe and muttered, “OK, maybe it’s prettier than Indiana.”

As their tour guide led them through the stunning campus, Mehlman was overcome with a sense of belonging. Tears welled up in her eyes, and a warm feeling filled her heart. This was it; this was the place she had been dreaming of all along.

It wasn’t just about Miami’s aesthetics. It was about the feeling of being home, the sense of belonging and the promise of a bright future. At that moment, she knew this was where she wanted to spend the next chapter of her life.

“I genuinely believe that Miami University’s campus speaks for itself,” Mehlman said. “You step on this campus no matter where you’re coming from, and it is gorgeous.”

Including personal stories was Mehlman’s favorite way to make a tour personalized and unique. She loved telling the story of the first time she ever ran into President Crawford. 

It was a typical sunny afternoon on campus when Mehlman noticed Newton and Ivy, the Crawfords’ dogs. 

Unable to contain her excitement, Mehlman called out to the dogs, and President Crawford let go of their leashes. His two furry companions bounded over to her, tails wagging with unbridled enthusiasm as they showered her with affection. It instantly brightened Mehlman’s day.

To her surprise, as she basked in the joyful canine chaos, President Crawford approached her. He handed her a gift card, a token of appreciation that left her both touched and grateful for the unexpected encounter.

Throughout her tours, Mehlman frequently received inquiries from parents nervous about sending their children to college far from home. Hailing from New Jersey herself, Mehlman's experience as an out-of-state student is particularly noteworthy as her parents relocated to Arizona shortly after her high school graduation.

“I think that Miami is a really great community. If you're going to do long distance, you might as well do it here,” Mehlman said. “We have such a supportive community. It’s not super overwhelming because we’re not in [a] huge city, and we just have so many resources and so many clubs that you can join that you will find your place here. You're going to get homesick like every college student does. But you will find those connections, and you will make it through.”

A year ago, Mehlman received an email from a girl she had never met. In the email, the girl explained that Mehlman had been her tour guide during her visit to Miami. The girl wrote, “I have decided to come to Miami, and I want to let you know that it was all because of you.”

As Mehlman read those words, tears rose in her eyes, an unexpected surge of emotion catching her off guard. It was more than just words on a page. It was a profound acknowledgment. It reminded her that she had accomplished something meaningful, something worth celebrating.