Ascend Review: A Christian College Alternative, One Year In 

By Caroline Swayze, Ascend Challenge Student

Quick summary: I planned to study professional writing in college until my mom made me sit through an Ascend webinar, and I ended up choosing Unbound’s Ascend program over both a degree and an online writing academy. My Foundation year took me to four in-person events, through burnout and a hard spring, and into a Christian community that became family. I’m now in my Challenge year and have already re-enrolled for Launch. 

What is Ascend? Ascend is a 1-3 year Christian post-high school program that gives young adults the skills, education, and community they need to thrive professionally, academically, and relationally. With enrollment options designed for undecided, trades-oriented, and degree-seeking students alike, Ascend meets students where they are and gives them the tools they need to reach their goals.

The Writer I Always Wanted to Be

For most of my life, I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. I’ve loved stories since I was old enough to read, and it didn’t take long for me to start dreaming of creating my own. When I was fifteen, I watched an inspirational video for aspiring young writers and came to the realization that I wanted to make a career out of my stories. I didn’t know how I was going to get there, but I knew where I wanted to end up.

College Degree or Online Writing Academy?

As a senior, I had plans to attend Pensacola Christian College and get a degree in Professional Writing. However, I wasn’t as sure if I really needed or even wanted a degree. I was scared that attending a traditional college would take all my time away from focusing on the stories I loved. I found a resource called The Author Conservatory: a college alternative for writers that offered both writing craft classes as well as the business skills you need to publish. I didn’t believe I could qualify for the Conservatory, and it was different from the conventional path that I’d assumed I’d follow. But it intrigued me deeply. I was split: the degree everyone said I needed or the education of my dreams. 

As I was waffling over my future, Mom introduced Ascend as the solution to all my problems. As an online program, Ascend offered a unique educational format that didn’t mandate a degree as the standard for success. They prioritized things like thriving and being extraordinary at the ordinary, and they were holding an online webinar for potential students to learn more about the program. Mom was intrigued and thought I should also be intrigued. When I was not, she mandated I at least sit at the table while she watched the webinar.  

I was completely opposed. First off, I didn’t fully understand what Ascend was trying to offer. Second, my mom was trying to promote the writing track, and I was sure that Author Conservatory was the route that I wanted to follow. Third, I didn’t like being told that she’d found the solution to all of my problems. While I was unsure of what I was looking for, I wasn’t convinced that Ascend was offering it.

I did not want to like the program— nor did I want to be persuaded into liking it— but I begrudgingly sat at our dining room table. I heard stories of students flying across the country, completing fabulous projects, and learning from famous speakers. They said that I didn’t need a degree to be successful. More than that, I kept hearing of how Ascend focused on building deep relationships. 

Doubt flickered in my mind. I’d wavered at the promise of travel and success without a degree, but a community? Ascend students got to join a group of like-minded young adults from all over the United States? And what was that about swing-dancing? 

I was hooked, even if I could barely bring myself to admit it. My mother was gracious. She also encouraged me to sign up for a call with an advisor from The Author Conservatory to learn more— turned out, I was a good fit for the program.  

Why I Chose Ascend Over an Online Writing Program 

Again I faced two options, though more unique than last time. I could attend the online writing academy of my dreams, or I could try this small program that would teach me to thrive and plug me into a community of other Christian young adults. The decision shouldn’t have been that hard, because as a writer, the Author Conservatory was my dream— and who was I if not a writer? But I needed people. I’d experienced a bad friendship breakup earlier that year, and I felt adrift. The Author Conservatory would be entirely online, while Ascend promised an in-person community. I’d still be able to pursue writing on my own, which I’d been very successful with so far. My parents encouraged me towards Ascend, because it offered a more well-rounded approach to education than just writing skills. After I put all of this together, it wasn’t long before we scheduled a call. 

So, on November 18th, 2024, I enrolled in my Foundation year of Ascend. I began counting down to APEX, the first event, which was over eight months away. 

Attending APEX for the First Time

August 14th, 2025, I managed to wake up at 3:00am to catch my flight due to sheer adrenaline. At my first layover, I met another Foundations Student and two Challenge Students, where they immediately hugged me and accepted me into their group like I’d known them forever. 

I knew then my mom had been right.  

When we arrived in the Grand Rapids airport, the group of young adults sprawled out around the pile of luggage outside the baggage claim intimidated me. Everyone was greeting each other like family, I’d been up since dark o’thirty, and I hadn’t eaten real food since then. As an introvert, I’d been prepared to be overwhelmed, and I did my best to pretend I was an outgoing person. My team leader came through with snacks, and I stuck to the Challenge students I met earlier, which helped me survive the first night. They introduced me to so many lovely people, and the event just got better and better from there: running around the campus completing challenges, learning to swing dance, and listening to phenomenal speakers. 

By the time we had to fly home, I didn’t want to leave. Everyone felt like family. One of the Challenge students I’d followed around all week had adopted me as her child. I’d conquered social anxiety and danced the Virginia Reel in the airport, oblivious to the opinions of strangers. I couldn’t believe that this was me, this outgoing, confident person who was surrounded by all of these potential friends. I felt like APEX unlocked the picture of the adult me that I’d had in my head as a child but had been too scared to really live out. I couldn’t wait to see what the year would hold.  

Waiting to Find My People

In the space between APEX and Basecamp, I plugged into the online spaces of the community and dove into my classes with eager enthusiasm. It didn’t take long for the glow of the first semester to wear off. Despite the potential I’d seen at APEX, I was so scared that I’d make it through the Ascend year without ever finding my people. My mom encouraged me to give it time, and so I slogged through the college courses I was taking and jumped on every chance I could find to hang out with people. 

Basecamp: Where the Community Became Real 

And then it was October 20th and we were on the shuttle to Basecamp, held at the gorgeous White Sulfur Springs Retreat in the lush countryside of Pennsylvania. As we sipped hot apple cider on the back porch, I bubbled over about my personal project idea— launching a newsletter about my journey to becoming an author— to an enthusiastic and encouraging Challenge student, who promised he would subscribe. I started finding my place more in the community, joining the group that played Uno until one in the morning and finding the people who loved swing dancing. I learned names and complicated dips and discovered that the hype about this community wasn’t just talk. Once again, it looked like my mom had been right.

Burnout in My Foundation Year, and the Friendship That Helped

As fall merged into winter, I struggled with burnout from spending so much time either working my fast food job or keeping up with leadership classes. I’d decided at the beginning of the semester to set aside writing for the first semester, and without having an outlet to creatively recharge, I started to wither. It was, however, during this time that I started weekly phone calls with another Foundations student, both of us committed to investing in the friendship. This intentionality slowly gave way to vulnerability, and despite struggling, I was building the relationships that have made all the difference.  

Ridgeline: Learning What Community Means

I found myself in a rather low place as we started the spring semester, and Ridgeline became the place where I could see everything slowly starting to fall apart. However, I also started seeing glimpses of how my community would come through for me. I had friends who noticed when I stood at the edges looking lost and came to support me; friends who walked along the cold, dark beach with me (despite the wind and sand in our faces) and listened as I ranted about feelings; friends who learned how to crochet with me (despite having thumbs very much designed for repairing trucks). At Ridgeline, I saw pieces of what community really meant, and I learned how I could create value and add to a team. 

Capstone: Hope in the Colorado Mountains

In the months that led up to Capstone, I struggled to follow through on my newsletter project and further leadership courses as my inner world disintegrated. I saw more and more of how much people cared for me while I sank deeper into lies. I began to open up to my friends about my struggles: both the challenges related to my project and classes, as well as those of a more personal nature. My team leader provided so much encouragement during this time where I wanted to completely give up on sharing my stories through my newsletter. Though it felt like everything was crumbling, God was bringing the people and obstacles into my story that would bring the most glory to him— even when I couldn’t see Him.

Capstone showed me the unbelievable power of community. As an event centered on hope and God’s story of redemption, it couldn’t have come at a more perfect time in my life. When I left APEX, the friends I met had felt like family; when I arrived at Capstone, they were my family. During those five days we spent together in the mountains of Colorado, they proved it to me. We shared stories about how God had redeemed brokenness— or how we were holding onto hope in his redemption though we hadn’t seen it yet. We cried together. We woke up at 4:45am to hike up a mountain, so dark you could only mostly see your feet and so cold the insides of your nose started panicking, all just to catch the sunrise. Yes, it was worth it. It was all so, so worth it. 

I saw my friends coming through for me when I needed it the most. I was able to sit and hold them when they needed it. Though I could still feel the broken edges inside, I wasn’t alone. The truth can be hard to see sometimes, but that doesn’t make it any less true. As we drove down the winding mountain roads towards the next big adventure, I was exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally, but my soul was brimming over with hope. 

What My First Year of Ascend Taught Me

My first year of Ascend stretched me above and beyond my comfort zone. I conquered my fears of public speaking, I sang in front of people, and I joined a daily pushup challenge. As I worked through the Leadership courses and my personal project, lies from my past rose to the surface, beliefs and struggles I didn’t think I’d have to face again. I had to practice vulnerability and learn how to rely on my community as I battled to realign how I tell my story with how God tells my story. Though I never would have signed up for all of these challenges, God knew what I needed when I enrolled for my Foundations year, and He’s used Ascend to equip me for the challenges He has in my future. 

Where I Am Now: Starting My Challenge Year

Now, I’m seven weeks into my Challenge year of Ascend, I’ve already re-enrolled for the Launch year, and I couldn’t be more grateful for how God is using Ascend in my life. While I’m still struggling with the journey of sanctification God has for me, I’m surrounded by some of my closest friends, and I have the support to tackle whatever lies ahead. When I dreamed of becoming a writer, I never would have planned this chapter. But God’s story for my life is so much bigger and harder and more beautiful than anything I could have imagined.