This week, Her Campus had the opportunity to sit down with Catherine Szkop and discuss her time as a tour guide at the University of Michigan. Catherine is a Junior from Farmington Hills, Michigan. Aside from tour guiding, Catherine is also a member of the Club Bowling team.
Her Campus: Why did you decide to become a tour guide?
Catherine Szkop: I was a first-generation college student and did not know what to look for in a college. I looked to my tour guides for advice and why they personally made the decision to attend the university. Asking a lot of questions and developing an informal relationship with my tour guides helped me navigate this school, so I wanted to give back and help other students in similar situations. Also, I really love talking to people being a tour guide doesn’t make me feel like I’m working.
HC: What is the funniest question someone has asked you on a tour?
CS: There is something called special group tours where we give tour to inner city kids and middle schoolers, and one girl who was from inner city Chicago asked me “What do I join to meet the hot white guys?”. I had to be professional about and not laugh.
HC: Are there any hidden gems of U of M that you have discovered through giving tours?
CS: We don’t tour this, but I discovered that there is a study room in the UMMA. The UMMA is something that many tour guides talk about. I’ve never liked studying in the UgLi unless it is group homework so it was nice to find this 100% silent study room that not a lot of people know of.
HC: What advice would you give to someone who wants to become a tour guide?
CS: When I went into my interview, I thought I wasn’t going to get it. I felt like all of the other tour guides at the group interview had very rehearsed responses and they seemed prepared. My reason for why I wanted to be a tour guide was not rehearsed, and not very Michigan related. I ended up being one of the only people in my group who got a job offer. I think being genuine is one of the things that set me apart. Find the genuine aspects within yourself at your interview and also in how you would give a tour and respond to questions.
HC: What would you add to the tour experience if you could redesign it?
CS: I’m actually trying to create a culture where when students or friends say go blue when they see a tour guide. It’s such a great way to show that despite being such a large university, there still is a community here and it is common to run into familiar faces across campus.
HC: What is your favorite thing about being a tour guide?
CS: Being a tour guide is cool because I am part of a community of interesting and diverse people. I value the opportunity to get know all of these people from different walks of life and to hear about their different Michigan experiences.
Images courtesy of: Catherine Szkop