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I actually found out about ASK online before I made my way to campus. I was looking at all the clubs and sororities that UCSB had to offer and deciding if this was even something that I was interested in. Then, at the club fair, I met some of the members at their table and felt like this was something that I needed to do to really get out of my comfort zone for once. At the time I was pretty shy and scared to do things on my own. Immediately after starting the rush process, I met who would eventually be my Big and fell in love with the org. She has graduated now, but we still keep in touch and occasionally get to catch up over breakfast. Everyone that I met was kind and interesting. Truly, I was encouraged to come out of my shell and try new things… Here I am, three years later President of the org. I have two Littles of my own now who I am so excited to see very soon! I’ve had my ups and downs throughout college as everyone does, but the friends I have made here met me with an understanding that you don’t often find in people. I’m so happy to be part of a group where we have a common STEM background, but such unique interests and hobbies. I’ve gotten to meet others from the national organization when I traveled to Chicago for our annual convention as well as members who graduated before I joined via our networking events. I have had so many opportunities to grow since joining and I wouldn’t want my college experience to go any other way. Written by Charlene Patenaude, Charlene is our President and a Member of the Eta Class. She is a Junior studying Computer Science. 
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I rushed ASK during my 2nd year after finding out about rush through a UCSB announcements email. I’d considered doing panhellenic rush, but I felt that an organization made up of solely women and non-binary people in STEM fit my interests much better. After going to an info session and meeting so many kind and amazing people, I knew I’d found my home at UCSB. I feel so lucky to have the most welcoming and supportive community in ASK and I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of it! Written by Abby Nestor, Abby is an active Member in the Kappa Class. She is a rising Junior double majoring in Environmental Studies and Psychological and Brain Sciences.  I just rushed ASK this past quarter and it has already been so much fun, and has led to me meeting so many incredible new friends that I am so excited to bond more with this year. I first decided to rush because I wanted to meet more fellow women in STEM, and wanted to make new friends. I was a little nervous and apprehensive about the rush process, but everyone in ASK was so welcoming and supportive, and they all made me feel like they really wanted me to succeed! Everyone showed interest in each other’s lives both inside and outside of classes and school, and I met so many people doing all sorts of different activities, I feel like if I have questions about any area of UCSB or related organizations there’s bound to be someone in ASK who knows something about it! My rush process was so much fun, and I highly recommend it! I rushed at the end of my sophomore year, and there were people rushing from all different grades and majors. I really felt like the process allowed me to get to know ASK, and to meet tons of women and non-binary folks that had similar interests to me. I am so excited for the fall, and to get to participate in all of the events to come this year! Written by June Padera, June is an active Member in the Kappa Class. She is a rising Junior studying Biopsychology.  I am entering my 4th year here at UCSB and I am ecstatic that I decided to join ASK in the beginning of my 2nd year. Starting my freshman year at UCSB during the peak of COVID was very very hard. I didn't move to Isla Vista until winter quarter of my freshman year and it was very difficult to meet people since all classes were online. Although I did make a few friends my freshman year, I am very happy I joined ASK my sophomore year because I finally felt like I was a part of something and was surrounded by a large support system of other female and non-binary students in STEM. It feels like I found not only a large support system of friends, but I also found a support system of other students with similar career and life goals. Not only can I go to my ASK sisters for company and quality time, but I can go to my ASK sisters for homework help, advice on classes, and advice on future career goals. Although many of the sisters I knew when I first joined ASK have now graduated, I can confidently say that I am continuously surprised by and excited about each new incoming class of sisters. Everyone in ASK is so kind and supportive and I am so grateful to be surrounded by so many fellow STEM majors. I look forward to meeting all the future sisters that join ASK this year and I am so grateful for all the opportunities, experiences, and friendships ASK has provided me. Written by Emma Jilesen, Emma is one of our Vice Presidents of Recruitment, and a Member of the Eta Class. She is a rising Senior studying Psychological and Brain Sciences.  I joined Alpha Sigma Kappa during the spring of my second year after coming across a poster by the Arbor that read 'she/they in STEM?'. My interest was piqued, and I attended that evening’s info session. I did not know non-Panhellenic sororities existed, let alone one that fit my interests so well. Throughout the next few days while attending recruitment events, I knew I found my place. One of my favorite things about Alpha Sigma Kappa is the people. Everyone I met, both during and after recruitment were so friendly and welcoming. Shortly after my Initiation, I attended National Convention in Texas. I got to meet Members from other chapters across the country as well as our National Board. Getting to know them made my love for this organization grow even more. Their dedication to ASK and the lifelong friendships they have formed made me so excited to return to campus in the fall and experience more of what ASK has to offer. Last year I had so much fun. As a nontraditional student, I’ve had trouble finding friends on campus. ASK has brought so many amazing people into my life and I have definitely made life long friendships. In addition, I got to experience having friends in my classes for the first time ever!! (shout-out to Yos and Kaylin in macroevolution <3) I can’t wait to see everyone again later this month and meet all our PNMs! My biggest piece of advice to those on the fence about going through recruitment is to just do it! Joining a sorority had never crossed my mind until that day at the Arbor, and now my life has been forever changed in the best way possible. Written by Kara Chatterton, Kara is our Vice President of Communications, and a Member of the Theta Class. They are a rising Senior studying Biology in the College of Creative Studies.  I joined ASK in the fall quarter of my third year, but I definitely would have rushed as a freshman had I known about it then! I’ve met so many fascinating people with similar goals as me, and through them, I’ve learned so much more about the (academic and social) opportunities that UCSB provides! I’m really looking forward to this year’s retreat since I wasn’t able to go last year, but I’m just as excited to run into my ASK friends around campus, meet new people during rush, and make the most of my last year here! My advice to PNMs is to let this org be a way for you to form friendships with people you never would have met otherwise! Written by Anushka Lodha, Anushka is an active Member in the Iota Class. She is a rising Senior studying Computer Science.  I am soon going to be a 3rd year here at UCSB and I am so happy that I joined ASK towards the end of my 1st year. I struggled a lot making friends that I wanted to stick with as I seemed to have the worst luck when it came to the people I met. I had a hard time with my mental health because of this which lead me to have a hard time with school. However, I finally found my forever home when I joined ASK and have definitely met friends that will last a lifetime. And, ever since joining this sorority, my mental health has improved greatly. Even when I feel alone, know I can fall back on my sisters who seem to support me endlessly no matter what. It is so nice to have people in similar majors/career goals who I can receive advice from. Networking is such a great tool that I have received and it makes me feel happy knowing that are able to help lots of people feel better about the hardships of STEM when providing our advice and experiences. Unfortunately, this year, the majority of my close friends I have made are graduating and it has been a very hard reality to face. I love these people so much and I can't imagine where I'd be without their love and support. I hope that I can be the role model my fellow sisters have been to me to future actives who join, making them feel more comfortable and safe at this school. Thank you ASK for the wonderful adventure so far, I can't wait to see what these next two year have in store :) Written by Felicia Graves, Felicia is one of our Vice Presidents of Recruitment, and a Member of the Theta Class. She is a rising Junior studying Biopsychology.  I joined ASK as a freshman during my first quarter here at UCSB. At first I was hesitant about joining any clubs since college life was so new for me. I realized that meeting people with similar goals in life was harder than I anticipated, so I decided to go to an Info Session for ASK. I knew right away that ASK was the place for me! I met so many amazing people during my rush process, some of which are now my housemates and best friends! ASK offers an extensive STEM community for women and non-binary students to take advantage of, find their place, and thrive with some of the most driven and inspiring people on campus and beyond. Now that my time here at UCSB and with the Xi Chapter is coming to a close, I tend to reflect on my early experiences with the sorority and what I hope Potential New Members will gain from them. My biggest piece of advice for anyone rushing ASK is to be your authentic self! Meeting new people in any setting is intimidating, but allowing your true self to shine during this time is the best way for Members and other PNMs to get to know you. Never be afraid to be yourself! You may find that you share many common interests with our Members and form long lasting friendships just like I did :) I learned so much about myself during my time with ASK. As a freshman, I never thought that I’d be the President of such an amazing sorority. I never thought I would meet so many amazing people, find the support that I needed through college and life in general, or be confident enough to stick with a STEM major. I’m extremely grateful for this sorority and all the experiences that came along with joining. I hope our PNMs find a sense of community when meeting us and decide to join our family!  Having graduated and currently working a full-time job out in the “real” world, one thing I’d like to say to ASK is thank you. Thank you for giving me a family. Littles that I can spill my guts to and that honestly help me get through my life (sometimes they act more like a big to me than I do to them)... A Big that has the purest heart I have ever seen. Grand Littles that are finding their way through college and experiencing the difficulties but the laughs that come with it. And even the sweetest Great Grand Little (wow that makes me feel old). Sisters that I stayed up late working on stat projects with (you know who you are haha). Sisters that put in hard work but also know how to have a good time. :) Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be our first philanthropy chair. From getting our shoes (or flip flops...) covered in mud planting trees to walking along the beach picking up trash, I watched as we woke up early morning on the weekend – which is extremely difficult to do as a college student – and came together to give back to our community. I am so proud and excited to see the new ways you find to give back. Thank you for giving me experiences I will never forget. There are so many, but it’s the little things that stick out in my head. I will never forget sitting in the car on our way to retreat, trying so hard to not spoil the surprise when my soon to be G Little was trying to guess who her Big is as she was driving me. I will never forget picking up a stick with my Little at a barbecue and pretending the ENTIRE TIME that they were wands. I will never forget the moment the Alpha Class looked at each other at retreat and just bonded realizing that we have been together from the beginning. Thank you for giving me a home. I look forward to supporting my sisters as they transition out of college following their own paths. I can say without a doubt that the sisters in ASK will do great things; they have a resilience about them that I cannot explain. Lastly, I am thankful that even though we came from different backgrounds and are headed down different paths, our paths crossed. Some of us may end up working in research, while others are coding for a big tech company. At the end of the day, one thing that we all have in common is that we are women in STEM, and nothing can stop us, especially since we have each other. Written by Ananya Haravu Ananya recently graduated from UCSB last Spring with a B.S. in Financial Mathematics and Statistics, and she is a member of the Alpha Class.  Looking back at the years I’ve been at UCSB, the memories I’ve made with my friends in ASK— from our family reveals and first retreat in LA to home-cooked meals, late night karaoke on the beach, and Zoom calls— are some of the most cherished ones that I hold dear to my heart. Like many of our sisters in ASK, I never imagined that I would be in a sorority—let alone rush for one. I remember during the spring quarter of my sophomore year, I had poked my head into a bustling room of girls during speed dating and felt frantic butterflies in my stomach because of how nervous I was. As soon as I sat down, the girls in ASK made me feel welcome and before long, I quickly saw how kind and encouraging the members were, realized that I truly could see myself as a part of this org, and continued to go to the events. Safe to say, almost a year later, I would not have done anything different. ASK has continued to play a very large part of my life at UCSB and has given so much to me; I’ve gotten more confident and I’m much more driven because of how much my sisters inspire me – whether it was many of the older ASK members who I was in awe of when I first joined or many of the newer members who continue to do amazing things! But more importantly, it taught me how to better prioritize the things most important in life like hanging out with my loved ones and being kind to myself, which I struggled with for the longest time.I’ve met so many incredible and supportive girls from a wide range of STEM fields through ASK, who I undoubtedly would not have had the luck or chance to meet them if I didn’t join, and I know I’ve made life-long, dependable friends who have stuck by me through thick and thin and continue to challenge me to be a better person. Regardless of what happens for next quarter, I know that our girls in ASK will continue to keep in touch; I'm just excited to spend my last year at UCSB with the people that I love and a community through ASK that I’ve really come to call my home away from home. Written by Kat Wu Kat Wu is a third year Psychological and Brain Sciences major, with a double minor in History and Applied Psychology, and hopes to become a child or school psychologist! She will be the 2020-21 Philanthropy Chair next year, and is currently an officer in Psi Chi UCSB (an honors psych organization), is involved in labs on campus, and works for Health and Wellness.  |
