Two Shorecrest Sophomores named Pier Ambassadors

When the St. Pete Pier reopens in the Spring of 2020, twenty local sophomore and junior high school students will greet, host and tour visitors through the 26-acre waterfront park. Chargers who take a tour of the facility may see some familiar faces - Upper School students and Pier Ambassadors Johnny Elwyn ‘22 and Krish Patel ‘22.  

Patel said he learned about the Pier Ambassador opportunity when Mr. Schneider mentioned it in an Upper School meeting and emailed the information to students with a link to the application. “I thought it was interesting since The Pier was just being built and I thought it might be cool to learn more about it firsthand. I also saw it as a service opportunity, and I could do service with my city while learning about the new Pier.”

Elwyn said that is also when he decided to apply. “I remember the old Pier. I would go there with my family and friends, and bike there when I was younger. It was shut down for a while. I’m excited to see the new Pier and I wanted to help out.”

The Pier Ambassador program was launched on November 6, at a special reception at Sunken Gardens, where the students heard from Deputy Mayor Kanika Tomalin, Chris Ballestra, Shorecrest parent and Managing Director of Development for the City, and Program Chairs Leah McRae, Director of Education for the City, and Laura Spence, K-12 STEM Specialist for Pinellas County Schools.

“At my interview they asked us about how we’d work together as teams.” Patel went on to explain, “That is a major part of it because as a Pier Ambassador you obviously don’t work by yourself. There are 20 Pier Ambassadors and a lot of time you’re giving tours with another person. You have to be a team player.”

“They’re continuing to help us with that in our meetings through team building exercises.” Elwyn added. “In English class this year we’re focusing a lot on public speaking. That’s definitely helping me, I’ve definitely improved a lot.”

Pier Ambassadors attend monthly training sessions with the City Pier team, Pier architects and local historians to learn about the history of former Piers and the development of the new Pier District. 

Preview tours of the new Pier will take place in early 2020. Elwyn said, “I think the end of January we’ll tour it. I’m excited. We’ll be some of the first people to tour it.”

“What I didn’t realize is with this Pier they’re trying to focus on a Pier that will last for a long time. Not just structural integrity, but a Pier that can change its use and can be relevant for certain time periods,” shared Patel. “There will also be a large splash pad for little kids. That’s going to hopefully generate a lot of interest for parents who want to bring their kids there for a fun time.”

Before introducing the inaugural group of Ambassadors, Deputy Mayor Tomalin told them, “I ask that you take your important task seriously but at the same time, please enjoy your roles as spokespeople for our city, our waterfront, and our incredible new Pier.”