YG Regional Summit – West Coast

To cater to the needs of YG Groups in Southern California, one of the most active and concentrated regions of YG leaders, several members of the YG National Board from the West Coast met with YG officers in Los Angeles for three days.

Following a short networking dinner on Friday, March 24, the summit began discussing strategies to increase membership recruitment. Attendees shared ideas for reaching out to students and young professionals in the community, using social media, and hosting networking events. The participants also focused on planning events and engaging new members for the upcoming year. The attendees discussed potential events like symposiums, conferences, workshops, and hackathons. They also brainstormed ways to get more young professionals involved in KSEA through mentorship programs, job fairs, and internships. These discussions were held more casually in a hosted apartment in Koreatown of Los Angeles.

A full day’s schedule commenced the following morning at a lecture hall in the University of Southern California’s (USC) main campus, starting with a presentation from the YG National Board chairs and directors. During this session, attendees had the opportunity to meet the YG National Board directors and learn about their vision for the organization. The new board members shared their backgrounds, structures of KSEA, objectives of the summit, and plans for the future of KSEA YG. This was followed by YG Group introductions, where participants could introduce themselves and their local Young Generation groups. This allowed attendees to network and connect with others in their region who share similar interests and goals.

The summit also discussed maximizing funding opportunities and KSEA funding for Young Generation officers. Participants shared strategies for obtaining funding and resources for their events and activities and how to leverage their connections with schools and local sponsors. YG National Board also presented the new YG budget for the remainder of the 51st Administration and how to effectively communicate their event agenda and budget proposal to obtain this fund. From KSEA HQ, General Director Ryuhwa Kim spoke with YG leaders to clarify any questions about the current administration’s policies with YG-related funding.

Afterward, YG officers gathered in groups to discuss conflict management within a YG Group and how to build an Annual Plan for submission in the 2023-24 Academic Year. Under the YG National Board directors’ supervision, they brainstormed a list of events and recruitment strategies to increase the youngest population of KSEA. For instance, the BruinKSEA YG Group at the University of California, Los Angeles, created spring and fall double recruitment periods to increase the YG Group presence on their campus. University of California, San Diego, proposed to utilize new resources created by the YG National Board to further advertise their club as a unique opportunity for Korean-American STEM students to build professional activity as a whole community. USC and University of California, Irvine YG Groups, each a well-established and a new YG Group respectively, have also made plans to continue their communication with the YG National Board to bring members to various national conferences such as Ygnite, UKC FIRE, and STEP-UP, in hopes of improving publicity of their YG Groups in the future. 

YG National Board also invited speakers from the local area to serve as mentors for the YG leaders, whose backgrounds ranged from early career professionals to established professionals as well as industry to academia. The lineup of speakers included former Harvey Mudd College (now The Claremont Colleges YG Group) presidents: Halie Kim from San Francisco and Yoo-Jin Hwang from Los Angeles, former USC YG Group president, and now scientist at the USC nanofabrication facility: Dr. Eugene Yoon, Family Medicine physician from LA Koreatown: Dr. Kevin Riutzel, and current KSEA Southern California Local Chapter President and Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at California State University, Long Beach: Dr. Eun Jung Chae. The invited speakers engaged in a conversation with the YG National Board and participating YG leaders to speak about their professional experience and being continued members of KSEA as professionals. 

The Saturday program concluded with a networking dinner, where participants could network and connect with other attendees and board members over the Korean BBQ in Koreatown.

The summit concluded Sunday morning with a wrap-up with the YG National Board conducting a post-event survey and reflections. The majority of participants expressed satisfaction and helpfulness with the YG Summit held this year, highlighting that the event was a great opportunity to learn how KSEA works and who to contact when they encounter problems. The participants also suggested that the greatest benefit of being a part of KSEA is the ability to network with peers/mentors and develop leadership experiences beyond their school curriculum. At the same time, the largest barriers to KSEA activity are the lack of awareness of KSEA events outside of their local area and the absence of an undergraduate-focused program. Among potential events, they expressed the greatest support to a large in-person conference focused on undergraduate and graduate students.

The Fourth Annual Young Generation Regional Summit in Los Angeles, CA, was a success, highlighted by a record number of participating YG leaders and providing attendees with valuable opportunities to engage with other professionals and learn about new ideas and strategies for advancing their careers and contributing to the community. The results of the post-event survey also uncovered valuable insights into what attracts the youngest leaders of KSEA. The event showcased the strength and dedication of KSEA Young Generation members and leaders, and we look forward to seeing the continued growth and success of the organization in the years to come.