Hi Amanda:
I agree, students can relate to "one of their own" so to speak. They also tend to bring a fresh sense of enthusiasm and desire to paint a very positive portarit of the career area they're being trained for.
New grads may not have all of the technical matter down pat, or extensive experience, but they they do have the ability to convey that it's quite possibe to get through school and begin a successful career. That can be tremendously inspiring and motivate students to try their best!
Regards, Barry