Dare to Give

By Ashwin Malik

Back straight, shoulders wide. Your blazer doesn’t quite fit, but what can you do? You’re a college student; a custom-tailored suit isn’t worth suffering a year of instant ramen. Clutching your padfolio tightly in your hand, you walk through the doors to the main ballroom for the SASE National Conference. You never quite forget your first conference.

Thousands of people, students and professionals, from all over the country (and from beyond, if you’re an international student like me). You meet incredible leaders, but they’re not really that much different from you. You realize, “I can be a leader, too!”

2016 will be my 4th National Conference. It may be the same conference but the experience and the memories are never quite the same. Driving 13 hours overnight. Receiving an Inspire Award with your team. Watching your best friend and the executive director sing karaoke at dinner. Thinking critically at Vu Pham’s workshops. Exploring new cities. Chugging coffee to combat the fatigue of the aforementioned drive. Rushing into massive group hugs. Friends, new and old. Go for the leadership development, go for the career opportunities, go for the adventure. But never, ever forget the people you’ll meet along the way, because here are the connections that will stay with you (and support you) for the years and decades to come.

I never received a job offer from the conference, but the mentors and experiences I gained from SASE are why I’m a CTO of a startup at 24. You’re a part of something bigger than yourself now, and you’ll find that the more you give, the more you’ll receive.

That’s why I Dare to Give.

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Originally published at saseconnect.org.