HONORABLE MENTIONS

“One of the chapter’s biggest accomplishments was being selected to host the SASE South Central Regional Conference (SCRC) at UTA. SCRC 2023 was a day-long conference consisting of 11 workshops, a keynote speaker, and a STEM career fair with nine companies. With over seven months of planning in the works, we were able to raise over $15,000 for the conference! Over 250 attended from the University of Texas at Arlington, Texas A&M University, University of Oklahoma, University of Houston, University of Texas at Austin, Louisiana State University, University of Texas at Dallas, University of North Texas, Kansas State University, Oklahoma State University, and Lamar University. With this huge opportunity, we were able to bring the majority of the south-central chapters together to connect once again! Members were able to learn from industry professionals and from other SASE chapters. Following the conference, we received reports of job and internship offers for numerous students, as well as lots of positive feedback. This was an unforgettable experience as we faced the challenges of planning a conference; however, we had a huge support system from the South team, our executive board, and junior officers.” 

“SASE Texas strives to create an inclusive community where individuals new to our organization or college can find a family away from home. Whether they are a STEM major or of Asian heritage, we provide every SASE member with opportunities to develop professional skills they can use to succeed in the global business world, celebrate and appreciate diversity on campus and the workplace, and serve the people and causes in our community and beyond. Our goals for this year were to sustain constant member engagement throughout the year and provide equitable resources for members of all majors. By constructing creative, interesting, and relevant events; strategically scheduling them; and fostering a close-knit community, our membership grew from 175 members last year to 261 paid members this year. After active and fervent outreach, 45 percent of our members are majoring in science disciplines and have provided valuable feedback for us to better serve them. Not including sports games, brownbag socials, or study sessions, we put on 75 events for our members this year, a significant increase from 30 events last year. The key to our success starts with the officer team and is sustained through open lines of communication within the officer team and with members. Frequent, effective communication and collaboration help to establish expectations for the group and foster a productive and comfortable work environment, which translates into a well-run organization that members can benefit from academically, professionally, and socially.” 

“The past year has been a significant milestone for the Embry-Riddle SASE chapter in recruitment, collaborations, fundraising, and professional development. We had 10 total events and an average member attendance of 10 people last year; this year, we had 19 events and have grown our average member attendance to 23 people! Our chapter had our first collaborations with UCF SASE, ERAU SHPE, and ERAU SWE for a beach day, a OneBlood volunteer event, and International Women’s Day tabling, respectively. These events helped us learn more about other organizations, better advertise our chapter, and gain new members in the process. Our chapter also had a profitable fundraiser selling dumplings and boba, where we made four times the amount of money we spent on materials. For a second fundraiser, we sold paneer biryani and orange Tang, and we made three [times] more than we spent. Additionally, we hosted several professional events, including an internship panel and a resume review with SASE alumni to help our members prepare for SERC. Overall, our chapter has grown exponentially due to balanced educational and social events and our efforts in strengthening connections with other diverse organizations on campus. Tabling for fundraisers and consistently posting on Instagram have also significantly increased our chapter’s exposure. The most valuable tip our chapter can give to newly developing chapters is to elect passionate, caring individuals to leadership positions. Having an executive board with driven officers who are devoted to building a strong community will be a major catalyst for your organization’s success. 

“Our chapter has made substantial progress throughout the academic year in terms of membership growth, leadership development, events, and chapter finances. Since the pandemic, our chapter has made huge strides in giving our members opportunities. Since last year, we have increased our events by 124 percent, from 37 to 46 events held within a single academic year, by providing our members the opportunity to get involved though general body meetings, socials, professional development, industry, community service, networking, tabling, fundraisers, and conferences. For the first time, we held two fundraisers, earning $100+ from each. We nearly doubled in tabling for the organization, volunteering 25+ hours to support the mission of SASE and promote the chapter. We have 35 active members in our chapter this year, 15 more than last year. 

We are known as one of the largest contingents to attend the West Regional Conference and National Convention (NC). This year, we attended both conferences, bringing 50+ members between the two. During the NC, members placed third and won ‘best new hack’ in the Hackathon. Among the 20+ members who attended the career fair, 26 had interviews and nine received offers of internships and full-time job opportunities, a historic high for our chapter. 

In terms of finances, our goal was to obtain funds from the school and through sponsorships to maximize our funded members to the conference. In total, we were able to allocate $7.1k for the NC and $4,000 for the West Regional Conference. Through our fundraisers and additional promotional activities, we increased the money in our bank account by 128 percent. Another improvement was the tripling of the number of candidates who ran for office – 15 candidates compared to five from last year.” 

“Since its establishment in 2012, SASE Stevens has always strived to provide a supportive community for their members to reach their full career potential. Our chapter aims to spread the three core values of SASE – professionalism, community, and diversity/culture – through biweekly general body meetings and monthly events. In these meetings, we discuss the dos and don’ts of resume writing to networking with fellow professionals to how ice cream is made with just ice and salt. 

From a small school located on the Hudson River, SASE Stevens has one of the largest active membership bases in the Northeast and proudly stands as a veteran chapter in the region. We believe our strength comes from our community and our priority in making sure that every member feels at home. Our advice for a successful chapter is to create a healthy, supportive, and welcoming community where people can grow and think innovatively.”