By Eric Brunt, Director of Enrollment Management
When prospective families step onto the Upper School campus this year, a record number of students will be ready to welcome them.
More than 75 Upper School students applied and were accepted as Admissions Ambassadors for the 2026–27 school year, the largest group in the program's history. The group kicked off its season on September 22, with a pizza lunch and training session hosted by the Admissions Office.
Ambassadors are the student arm of the Admissions Team. They lead campus tours for prospective families, host prospective students for shadow visits, speak on panels at admissions events, and serve as buddies for new students as they settle into Country Day. Above all, they partner with the Admissions Office to tell the story of the Country Day experience from their own authentic, lived perspective.
The program gives students a meaningful way to live out the school's values of principled character, ethical leadership, and a commitment to service, while helping the community live up to the goals of its Affirmation of Community. Through hospitality and welcome, Ambassadors greet and guide visitors so they can experience the warmth, energy, and spirit of Country Day.
The goal is simple: every family should feel welcomed, included, and supported as they visit campus and consider Charlotte Country Day School.
Tianna Butler-Alexander leads the Acorn Ambassadors, with support from the rest of the Admissions Team and Upper School Dean Brendan Cole. Together, they prepare the Ambassadors to share an honest, student's-eye view of life at Country Day with every family who visits.
“Acorn Ambassadors offer prospective students and families an authentic window into the Country Day experience… Ultimately, the Acorn Ambassadors program is about building community through windows and mirrors: creating windows into experiences different from our own while providing mirrors in which we can see aspects of ourselves reflected,” said Tianna Butler-Alexander.
A Name Chosen by Students
This year the program also has a new name, chosen by the students themselves. Every applicant was invited to suggest a name, and the Admissions Team narrowed the submissions to six finalists for a vote by the full club. The winner was Acorn Ambassadors.
The name draws on one of Country Day's most enduring symbols. The acorn, featured on the school seal, represents patience, perseverance, and hard work. Just as an acorn needs water, sun, and air to grow into a strong tree, Country Day students grow into fine young adults through years of care and commitment from teachers, coaches, and parents. For the Ambassadors, the symbolism is fitting: the prospective students they welcome today are the acorns that will one day become Country Day oaks.
Introducing Green Key Ambassadors
Also new this year is a leadership role for juniors and seniors: Green Key Ambassadors. The role was open to 11th and 12th graders who had already shown commitment to the program, and 12 students were selected. Green Key Ambassadors will help plan and lead programming for the full group of Ambassadors and will work closely with the Admissions Office throughout the year.
For many, the heart of the role is being part of a family's very first impression of Country Day. “I really enjoy giving tours because I get to be one of the first student faces prospective families meet,” said Green Key Ambassador Cassie Gee '28. “I [get] to show them my Charlotte Country Day, the school that I've called my own since kindergarten.”
Chitra Anilkumar '28, who has served as an Ambassador for the past two years, said the experience has also shaped her own time at Country Day. “I can confidently say that I truly enjoy being a part of someone's first impression of the school… Being an ambassador has allowed me to connect with students I would have never met otherwise, some of [whom] I am still in touch with to this day.”
Khloe McIntosh-Jordan '28 is looking ahead to the year to come. “I [am] excited to take on new responsibilities, represent my school, and help make the Upper School a place where everyone feels included and comfortable,” she said.
With a record-sized group, a new name, and a new team of student leaders, the Acorn Ambassadors are ready to help the next generation of Bucs take root.