My Time as an ADPList Ambassador
Summer has passed, and now something begins anew. My time being an ADPList ambassador was short-lived, but the time spent helping to advocate for democratizing mentorship was both a valuable and enjoyable experience for me. It’s something that I am going to bring with me for the rest of my professional and personal career.
While I slowed down a lot on my extracurricular activities within the UX space, I wanted to focus more on my personal life and take a step back from the hustle of life. I’ll admit, that’s what got me to this position, but acknowledging there’s more to life than just your job is incredibly important to me, and I want to give back in a different way.
So what was it like joining 11 others into this international family? Let me tell you…
We Are Family
I like to say that the ADPList team aren’t friends, they’re family. Meeting every week to talk about what we want to do and collaborating to spread ADPList’s mission was something that I couldn’t experience in any other organization. Everyone was so passionate about the mission, and it felt exciting to work on something that can potentially impact someone’s life.
Not only that, but the fact that everyone is from around the world is crazy to me. I’m not just talking about people across the United States, I’m talking about people in Singapore, Pakistan, Africa, and so much more. It was such a joy to meet people from all around the world and to learn from their experiences.
Supporting One Another
Having group support is one thing, but supporting each other individually was something special. Chatting with fellow ambassadors one-on-one was truly magical, and talking about our feelings and progress showed just how similar we really are.
Although I never actually met these people in person, I felt that I can consider so many of these people close friends. People who I can comfortably hit up and ask if we can talk about something. Having this huge support group is literally having a second family, and I’m forever grateful for that.
Becoming an Icon
One of my favorite aspects about being an ambassador is this feeling of being your most authentic self. That feeling shows that you can do your best work and not hide any potential that you may have. This was how I felt at ADPList, being who I am by having my face be a meme within the group.
Jokes aside, being able to just be me is amazing. The vibe of ADPList is all about community and having fun, and I definitely felt that way while being an ambassador. Whether it’s in a standup meeting or just a casual hangout, I know that I can be myself and no one will judge me for it.
Concluding My Story
If I can sum up my time at ADPList in one word, it’s caring. The internal team, the ambassadors, and everyone who uses ADPList are all caring people, and that motivation and support allowed me to take on tasks that I never imagined I would have done.
To Felix, Winona, and the rest of the ADPList team, thank you for trusting me and allowing me to be a part of this mission. While I may not be as active anymore, I still cherish the friendship and time that we shared and I hope we can meet again and talk about life.
Until then, this is Jason Casimiro, ADPList Ambassador of Summer Cohort ’21 signing out…
If you found this helpful, feel free to check out my other articles! Connect with me on LinkedIn if you want to keep the conversation going, and check out my YouTube channel to see me interact with other beginner and senior designers within the community.
Want some mentor recommendations? Check out my ADPList profile and my post on how to look for mentors.
