BENJAMIN PHAM

“I first got involved with SASE at the end of my freshman year when the founding president was searching for new officers. With the pandemic having started, he reached out to me, as we’d met through other organizations, and told me that he thought I’d be a great fit for SASE. Turns out, he was right. My trip to SERC 2022 is especially memorable; it was our first regional conference since the pandemic started and we took only five of our members. It ended up being an absolute blast of an experience. It meant a 10-hour road trip each way, but we mixed it up with great food stops and attractions (that the team would repeat again this past year), and the people we met while we were at the University of South Florida more than made up for it. 

Coming in, I thought SASE would be just another professional development organization that I could be a part of, but it’s so much more than that. Over the past three years, SASE has grown to mean family to me. Everyone just wants to see each other grow, thrive, and succeed in whatever capacity they desire. We’re a community that uplifts each other so that everyone gets a shot at their dreams. 

To make the magic happen, network, network, network. SASE is one of the most diverse communities there is in terms of STEM majors, and you never know who you’ll meet in your chapter and what you can do for each other. Go out there, meet new faces, make new friends, and grow your community.”