Why You Should Apply for AIA’s Future Asian Leaders Scholarship
“What if the unknown is ours?”
-Nicole Cruz, life coach
When I applied for AIA’s Future Asian Leaders Scholarship last year, I wasn’t sure what to expect. At the time, I knew I was struggling to see a path forward in my career. Like most children of immigrants, I’d spent the majority of my life checking all the right boxes – graduating from college, landing a full-time job, supporting my family – but I felt lost. I couldn’t see my life beyond my career or the expectations of others. And, as a chronic high-achiever, it was hard to define happiness outside of good grades or a good performance review. Through the Future Asian Leaders Program, I started seeing beyond that little checklist in my head and acknowledging all the possibilities around me. In the end, Nicole Cruz and my Future Asian Leaders cohort left me a changed person, ready to start carving my own path.
The Basics
Future Asian Leaders was a great mix of Zoom lectures, open coaching, homework, accountability groups, and goal setting. Each week started off with a worksheet focusing on a specific topic, like taking radical responsibility or befriending your fears. These thought-provoking worksheets allowed me to reflect on the things happening in my life and helped me pinpoint what was working and what wasn’t. From there, I’d connect with my accountability group to talk through our responses and give each other support and advice. Then, it was time for our weekly Zoom call with Nicole and the rest of our cohort. I loved that we started each group session by sharing our wins before going in-depth on our weekly topic. After blowing our minds with her wisdom, Nicole would open the floor for shares and open coaching, providing her support and guidance. Here, we were vulnerable about the things happening in our lives and worked through different solutions together. At the end of our sessions, we’d reconvene on Slack in our #accountablity channel, sharing something we wanted to accomplish by our next session.
The Girls that Get It, Get It
In this industry, it’s hard finding people who understand why we work so hard, why we try not to rock the boat, or why failure doesn’t always feel like an option. So imagine a space led by a culturally informed life coach with people from similar backgrounds who have shared experiences and totally understand your point of view. There’s freedom in not having to caveat and explain your entire existence. To me, that alone was one of the biggest benefits of the program. To this day, I still connect with members of my cohort and reach out to them for advice. From job hunting to just holding myself accountable, it’s been amazing having this incredible community to lean on.
The Impact
In the months after Future Asian Leaders, so much of my life has changed. I navigated a frustrating workplace, got laid off, and started facing the realities of that dreaded question: who am I, and what do I want? In the past, these challenges would have sent me into a spiral of shame and guilt. I probably would have written myself off as a “bad immigrant daughter” and jumped into major panic mode. Thankfully, the Future Asian Leaders program gave me the foundation and resilience I needed to keep my head up. I’ve started taking on more radical responsibility to figure out what I want versus staying stuck in that “checklist mentality.” I’m working hard to treat myself with the kindness and compassion I would give another person in my shoes. And, when all else fails, I take a moment to ask myself WWNS: What Would Nicole Say?
It’s safe to say that my life feels a little uncertain right now, but the learnings and community I gained from this program have given me the courage and strength to keep going. So, if you’re stuck in that state of analysis-paralysis or just want to gain some clarity, apply for the Future Asian Leaders Scholarship. I know I’m glad I did.
Learn more and apply to AIA’s Future Asian Leaders Scholarship here. Application Deadline: June 30, 2023.
