Student - Community Tour Guide & Event Specialist

Join the Soka University of America (SUA) Community Relations team as a brand ambassador for one of Aliso Viejo’s most distinctive institutions. This dual-role student position offers a unique opportunity to develop professional skills in public speaking, event management, and community engagement while sharing your passion for SUA’s campus, mission, and people with diverse audiences. Tour guides and event specialists serve as the public face of the university, helping to advance SUA’s mission.

Job Description

About the Office of Community Relations

The Office of Community Relations, housed within Strategic Marketing & Communications (CR/SMC), serves as the bridge between SUA and the surrounding Orange County community. The team builds and stewards relationships with city officials, residents, neighboring schools, nonprofits, alumni, donors, and arts patrons. Signature community-facing programs include the Summer at Soka concert series and Art Exhibit openings twice a year in the two-story, 8,000-square-foot Founders Hall Art Gallery. Student employees play an essential role in delivering these experiences with warmth, professionalism, and authenticity.

Position Details

Department: Community Relations / Strategic Marketing & Communications (CR/SMC)

Supervisor: Manager of Community Relations

Positions Available: 2–4 students

Schedule: Approximately 2–10 hours per week (tour and event dependent); hours may increase during peak seasons such as gallery openings, orientation, start of semester, admissions visit days, and major community and campus events. Availability for select evenings, weekends, and occasional holidays is required.

Application Deadline: New cycle for Fall 2026 through Spring 2027

Role Responsibilities

Community Tour Guide

As a student leader, you will lead engaging walking tours for diverse visitors including community members and organizations, civic leaders and dignitaries, alumni, donors and friends of Soka. Tours are scheduled based on guide availability and are a key moment of first impression for the university.

Key Responsibilities:

• Deliver compelling campus tours that highlight SUA’s academics, student life, facilities, sustainability efforts, and rich history

• Share authentic personal experiences and stories about your SUA journey

• Respond to visitor questions with knowledge, accuracy, and enthusiasm

• Maintain flexibility and composure while adapting your delivery to diverse audiences — from prospective families and youth groups to alumni, donors, and dignitaries

• Communicate effectively in person, by phone, and over email with prospective visitors and campus partners

• Reach out to confirmed guests when needed via phone, Zoom, and/or email to coordinate tour logistics

• Operate the campus golf cart when needed (training provided)

• Represent SUA with cultural sensitivity, recognizing the diverse traditions, languages, and backgrounds of our visitors

Event Support Specialist

Support on-campus, off-campus, and online community events that strengthen SUA’s external partnerships and welcome the public into our campus spaces.

Sample Event Schedule:

• Art Gallery openings at Founders Hall (typically 2x per year — September and February)·

• Aliso Viejo and Orange County community partnership events -
  (example: Aliso Viejo Chamber of Commerce Networking Mixer)

• Campus and donor events — as needed

Event Responsibilities: 

• Provide exceptional guest services and hospitality to attendees, donors, and community dignitaries

• Coordinate event logistics including setup, breakdown, signage placement, and material transport across campus locations

• Serve as an information resource and provide wayfinding assistance for visitors

• Support SMC event staff with on-site coordination and “day-of” event execution

• Maintain a professional decorum and a positive attitude while maintaining a sense of urgency to complete tasks

• Assist with check-in, name badges, programs, and other front-of-house materials

Bonus Opportunities: Front Desk & Administrative Support

The Community Relations team may also offer additional hours supporting the SUA reception desk in Founders Hall and providing administrative help to CR/SMC staff. Responsibilities may include:

• Greeting visitors and serving as a welcoming first point of contact for the university

• Supporting inventory updates, mailings, and office organization for the Community Relations team

• Other duties as assigned to support office operations

What You’ll Gain

Professional Development:

• Advanced public speaking, cross-cultural communication skill building in real-world environment

• Event planning, coordination, and problem solving

• Group collaboration, diplomacy, tact, and discretion

• Working autonomously, while balancing changing priorities

Networking Opportunities:

• Connect with alumni, donors, arts patrons, and community leaders across Orange County

• Build relationships across campus departments

• Potential for continued employment during the academic year and across multiple cycles

Career-Ready Skills:

• Marketing, communications, and brand-ambassador experience

• Project coordination and event-day problem solving

• Adaptability and composure in dynamic, public-facing environments

• Experience in community, public, and government relations within a multi-layered, multi-stakeholder campus community/organization 

Ideal Candidates

Essential Qualifications:

• Reliable, punctual, and detail-oriented

• Demonstrated professionalism and a strong commitment to service

• Genuine enthusiasm for SUA and the student experience

• Strong oral and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively by phone, by email, and in person

• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision as well as collaboratively with staff and fellow student staff teammates

• Ability to handle information with discretion and diplomacy

• Professional demeanor, positive attitude, adaptability under pressure with a sense of urgency

• Foster respect and appreciation for diversity, a commitment to equity, belonging, multi-linguicism, and multi-culturalism

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bilingual or multilingual capabilities, specifically fluent in Japanese

• Previous customer service, hospitality, or public speaking experience

• Interest in marketing, communications, community relations, the arts, or higher education

• Comfort with basic database, project management software or CRM data entry for tracking visitors, RSVPs, or event attendance

Physical & Scheduling Requirements

• Approximately 2–10 hours per week, with potential to increase during peak periods

• Availability to work select evenings, weekends, and occasional holidays as event schedules require

• Ability to walk the campus and lead tours outdoors in varied weather

• Ability to lift up to 20 lbs (event setup/breakdown, transporting materials between campus locations)

• Comfortable operating a campus golf cart after training

How to Apply

Please submit a cover letter along with your resume to the contacts listed below. In your cover letter, tell us why you would like to represent SUA to the community and share any relevant experience with tours, events, customer service, or public speaking.

Contacts

Maya Cardenas-Dance

Manager of Community Relations 

Strategic Marketing & Communications

mcardenasdance@soka.edu

Weekly Hours

10

Pay Range

16.90

The base salary range for this position is listed above. Compensation ranges are based on several factors including job function, experience and geographic location. Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors including candidate experience and expertise, and may vary from the range listed here.