Brennan Angel“Who the heck are the people on the Cal Poly Web site?” So many people wonder this as they go the home page and just move on, never knowing the images are of Poly Reps. Lana Smith took this and turned it into a passion.
Now, Smith, a psychology senior, is president of Poly Reps. Poly Reps is a volunteer student organization that is the public relations for the school, she said.
“We talk to prospective students, parents and alumni,” Smith said. “We are the people that give tours – we represent Cal Poly.”
Smith got involved in the program because of her desire to do something for the school that she loved, she said.
“I love volunteering and helping others,” Smith said. “It’s great to be able to do something for Poly.”
Her enthusiasm to volunteer pushed her to get involved in many other school activities. Currently, Smith is a co-sponsorship representative on the ASI Board of Directors, a member of both the Cal Poly Choir and a college-based fee committee, and she works for the Family Care Network as an in-home counselor.
“I keep very busy,” Smith said.
The Poly Reps adviser, Terrance Harris, said Smith is ambitious. “She is the kind of person that makes improvements where they’re needed,” he said.
“Every leader has their own style,” Harris said. “Her style is very effective with her personality.”
Smith wanted to be president, so she just did it without any experience on the executive board, she said.
“I wanted it and just ran,” Smith said. “Anyone can do it.”
Cal Poly is known for having the best tours, she said.
“The tours aren’t scripted and they are from a student perspective,” Smith said. “We just joke around and give the real picture of what Cal Poly is like.”
Smith said she loves it when people come up and remember her giving them a tour. “People have told me that their tour guide was the reason they came to Poly,” she said. “People come to school here just because of what we have told them.”
Part of the reason Smith got involved was due to her homesickness when she was a first year student, she said. “I really missed home and a lot of students feel the same – I wanted to show them that Cal Poly is a home away from home.”
One of her favorite parts of Poly Reps is the people involved, she said.
“I love the people because we are such a diverse group and it’s enjoyable to go to meetings,” Smith said. “It’s nice to be in a group that is so fun.”
“Lana is just a really group-oriented and selfless person,” Harris said. “She’s so aware of the needs of the people around her.”
Harris says she has brought fun with her. “She is fun by nature,” he said.