By Michael Nash ’27
My journey tour guiding at Pomona College didn’t start with confidence; it began with nerves. I first came on as a summer fellow, a summer intern who also serves as an intern and tour guide during the summer, and I remember being really nervous about the role. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to talk to families, answer questions on the spot, or represent the College in the way that it deserved. I was worried about messing up or not saying the right thing, but once I started, I quickly realized that tour guiding was not about being perfect; it was about being real.
After that summer, I came back as an Academic Year Intern, then as a Wintern (a winter intern), and I’ve been working with admissions ever since. With each step, I felt myself getting more comfortable, not only giving tours but also sharing my experience at Pomona. What started as something I was unsure about slowly turned into something I genuinely enjoyed. It stopped feeling like a job and started feeling like a space where I could just be myself. One of the biggest reasons I love tour guiding is that I get to tell my story. I enjoy being honest about where I came from, what I struggled with when I first got here, and how I found my place over time. I think a lot of prospective students feel like they need to have everything figured out before coming to college, and that just isn’t true. When I share my story, I can see students relax and realize that Pomona is a place where you are allowed to grow into yourself.
Another thing I’ve come to love about tour guiding is how much it makes me reflect on my own journey. Talking about my classes, my community, and my experiences reminds me of how far I’ve come since that first nervous summer. It forces me to think about why I chose Pomona and why I continue to choose it every day. For me, that comes down to the people, the support, and the opportunities to explore different interests without feeling boxed in. Tour guiding also comes with a lot of responsibility, especially because for some students, this is their first real exposure to college life. Being one of the first college students they interact with matters to me. I try to be honest in my answers and not sugarcoat the experience because I believe students deserve to know what they’re walking into. Pomona is challenging, but it’s also supportive, and that balance is something I always try to highlight.
Tour guiding has helped me become a stronger communicator and be more confident in my voice. I’ve learned how to read a group, how to adjust based on who I’m talking to, and how to make space for students who might be quiet or unsure. These are skills I didn’t expect to gain from this job, but they are ones I know I’ll carry with me beyond Pomona. Looking back, it’s meaningful to see how my relationship with tour guiding has grown. From a nervous summer fellow to someone who genuinely loves welcoming people onto campus, it’s been a journey I’m grateful for. Tour guiding has allowed me to grow, reflect, and give back to a place that has given me so much, and that’s why I love being a tour guide at Pomona College.