How Ascend Midwest gave me purpose and friendships

To say that Ascend has played a major role in my life (and especially the last four years) would be a wild understatement.?

When I moved to Chicago in 2018, I knew I’d soon be descending into a period of hibernation. My son Cooper was on the way and when he was born in 2019, we shut down the engines and floated in the proverbial water for awhile.

Nikki Southwell (then the Ascend Midwest chapter secretary and someone I hadn’t kept in touch with for many years) and I reconnected that spring. As 2019 ended and I was preparing to leave LinkedIn for SAP SuccessFactors, she invited me to a chapter social mixer at the Dearborn in Chicago, on January 15, 2020. I jokingly say she ambushed me but she and I knew my getting involved was inevitable.

Joining the board was something that gave me purpose and life, and for over four+ years, it was the lifejacket that kept me afloat. Those first couple months (as the pandemic began its long scorching burn across the world) were my chance to get to know our board members and programs before the world shut down. I can still remember being at the Metropolitan Club, high above the streets of downtown Chicago, on March 12, 2020 - looking down on the world that was to disappear from sight like so many streets underneath a foggy day.

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2020 was basically a waste of a year. We managed to do a virtual Inspiring Across Generations conference in November 2020, and we limped into 2021 like the rest of the world - lost and wondering if the world would ever get back to normal.

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Nikki Southwell and I had the chance to step into the chapter co-president roles, and then Vanessa Obrochta replaced Nikki after ably serving as our Executive Vice President. Since Nikki and I started in 2021, the Ascend Midwest chapter has hosted 44 events (10 in 2021, 8 in 2022, 16 in 2023, 10 in 2024) on topics like our recurring ERG Eats sessions, book clubs, our View from the Top series with senior execs, happy hours, holiday parties, our Pan-Asian Women Show Up program (which has been emulated at the national level), and of course our IAG conferences.

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Alongside our chapter events, regular board meetings, pursuits of corporate sponsors, and strategy sessions, I attended three national conventions, so many national presidents' calls, extended leadership team meetings, and calls and conversations with my fellow chapter leaders. And each of these incredible experiences revealed a deeper connection to an organization I've been involved with for nearly two decades.

2022 National Convention - Disneyland, Anaheim, CA

Another highlight was our 2022, 2023, and 2024 adventures to the Ascend National Convention, held in Disneyland, Austin, and Las Vegas, respectively. That first year, 2022, our first year back from pandemic, was such a incredible rush of camaraderie and connection. With mouse ears, obviously.

2023 National Convention - Austin, Texas

2023 brought us back together in the sweltering July heat of Austin, Texas. There were so many familiar faces complemented by brand new ones. Deep, meaningful conversations. Celebrations of life and of those who we lost. Deeply profound and powerful and realizations.

2024 National Convention - Las Vegas, NV

2024 brought along what I consider to be the best convention yet, with discussions on mental health and Asian representation in media leading the way. This event was a little bittersweet as I knew I'd be moving, and thus my time as a chapter president would come to an end - but when one door closes, another one opens! My future neighbors in the NJ and NYC chapters welcomed me with open arms! ??

September 2024 - My final event as Chapter Co-President

Watching our team execute our latest annual Inspiring Across Generations (IAG) conference (featuring the theme "Lead from Any Seat") in September ago filled me with immense pride and a little sadness. No longer will I be as involved with the chapter I helped grow over these last four years. In a way, it's like graduation day - you know you're off to new and possibly better things, but part of you longs for what you know and what you've come to love.

But if this past year has taught me anything, it's that anything is possible.

Maybe one day I'll move back to the Midwest.

Maybe I'll stay in Jersey.

But regardless, I am so grateful for the run we had as a Midwest board together and I will miss my friends dearly. Thanks friends.

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#ascend #ascendmidwest #ascendleadership #asian #asianamerican #asianamericans #aapi #panasian

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