When Ms. Quinones (Ms. Q) joined Kent on July 1st as the new Tour Guide Coordinator, she brought a decade of teaching experience, including five years in a boarding school, Rumsey Hall, and an eagerness to step into the world of admissions.
“I’ve wanted to go into admissions for a while,” she explained. “The tour guide role lets me still work with a huge group of kids, have the opportunity and time to form relationships with the students, but not grade papers. It’s the best of both worlds.”
Though it has only been a short few weeks with students back on campus, the large numbers of visits already in the book surprised Ms. Q. “We’re booking up so fast for the fall,” she said, laughing. “In October, there are a few weeks where they’re completely booked and it’s incredible!”
Though she isn’t rushing to make sweeping changes yet, Ms. Q has already refined the training process. Unlike in past years, where returning and new tour guides came in for the training whenever they liked, Ms. Q took a new approach, focusing one week on tour guides with A, B, and C blocks free while the other week focusing on the tour guides with D, E, F, and G blocks free. “We broke it into smaller sessions this year so everyone could get focused, hands-on preparation,” she noted. “Tours are often the first impression new families get of Kent, so we want our guides to feel ready.”
Looking ahead, she is interested in having the head tour guides have more responsibilities such as scheduling and pairing the actual tours. As of right now, she’s planning to, “master it this [original] way first. And then I will totally jump in, maybe next year, with some new ideas.”
Speaking of changes, this year’s head tour guide team is perhaps the largest in Kent history, consisting fourteen members across the upperclassmen forms compared to the usual six seniors. Though Ms. Q didn’t make that decision, she appreciates the range of talents it brings. “Last year’s group of tour guides and the applicants for head tour guides were just phenomenal.” On that note, she also brings up the fact that, “Especially since we have 180 or so tour guides this year, having fourteen heads isn’t really that much.”
Her main objective for this year is to keep tours personal and authentic. She emphasizes that some families might want all the statistics, but more often than not, they want to hear the tour guides’ personal stories and experiences on campus. “We pair visitors with guides who share their interests, hometown, or even former schools. Once you find common ground, a tour becomes a real conversation.”
Finally, Ms. Q hopes all students, not just guides, help visitors feel welcome: “Kindness doesn’t cost anything. A simple hello can make someone’s day and give them a glimpse of the spirit that makes Kent special.”
