MOST IMPROVED CHAPTERS

In the 2024-2025 academic year, the University of Florida's SASE chapter accelerated its growth by increasing total membership from 688 to over 1035 members. 

With 6 programs and over 80 events this year, there have never been more ways for members to get involved and stay connected with our community.

Our SASE Interns program had 158 Interns across 21 committees, giving members experience in planning, teamwork and leadership. The SASE Sports program had 119 intramural teams with 587 participants, promoting wellness and community through competition. Our mentor-mentee program paired 400 members for academic and career support. The SASE Engineering Team built RescueGator, a robotic search-and-rescue dog engineered by 31 students from scratch. Our Web Development Team, with 24 developers, created a full-stack website featuring member accounts and blog functionality.

This year UF SASE was honored with the University of Florida Excellence in Member Engagement Award, recognizing our commitment to building a supportive, empowering community for Asian heritage scientists and engineers.

Nationally, UF SASE brought over 80 members to SASE National Convention, enabling many of our members to network with industry professionals. We hosted SASElympics, a cross-chapter sports event with over 80 participants, and played an active role in supporting many other SASE chapters by providing resources, mentorship and guidance on everything from running SASE Interns to planning National Convention.

We believe that a strong organization starts with passionate leaders who step out of their comfort zone for the benefit of their members. As a leader, you create an environment where people feel like they belong to a family and uplift members who carry that sense of care and community forward. 

When you truly make an impact on your members, they will give back to the organization that has given so much to them.

During the 2024–2025 year, UCF SASE strengthened its impact and presence. 

We redefined our identity by overhauling our leadership structure, strengthening documentation, improving communication systems, and aligning a clear vision rooted in our core pillars with long-term growth. These changes built a sustainable foundation and empowered diverse voices, allowing us to execute 116 events that have provided opportunities for members to connect, grow, and lead.

Our Intern Program increased from 20 to 60 interns across 9 committees, building a leadership pipeline that has fueled enduring success and spirit. We matched 98 mentors/mentees to build supportive, career-focused relationships. Expanding technical and professional offerings by 400% and 1100%, we hosted 35 workshops and connected 527 attendees with 15 companies. With record fundraising, the chapter broke barriers to send 40 members to SERC and 15 to NC.

We revived our service pillar by launching 17 initiatives in healthcare, education, sustainability, and civic engagement. Collaboration with 61 organizations, SASE chapters, nonprofits, and companies across campus, Florida, and beyond, highlights our commitment to fostering connections. We boosted our online presence with a new website and creative Instagram content, increasing from 1,250 → 1,850 followers and doubling views to 153,000+. We launched “The SASE Space,” a podcast series that highlights member experiences, earning university recognition.

They say Rome wasn’t built in a day–we believe a successful chapter isn’t either. With intention, strategy, and compassion, we invested in frameworks that ensure continuity, built infrastructure through outreach and partnerships, prioritized inclusivity by amplifying voices through media, and diversified our impact by creating connections. Most importantly, none of this matters without caring for the people–their stories, their journeys, and the sense of belonging that evolves an organization into a community.

Thank you to everyone that has been involved and contributed to our precious SASE space.