Before the first event even begins all the way through the end of the year, Ascend teams are a foundational part of every Ascend student’s experience. 

In this article, I, a current Ascend Challenge (year two) student, am going to share what it’s like to be part of an Ascend Team for the first time and why, based on my personal experience, it’s such an important part of the program.

How Are Ascend Teams Assigned?

Leading up to the first event of the Ascend year, APEX, Ascend Team assignments are sent out and your first team call will be scheduled. Ascend Teams consist of 8-10 students and multiple things are taken into account as they are assigned:

First, the Ascend staff team starts with a lot of prayer. Genuinely, this is one of the biggest parts of the process.

Then, staff asks each Ascend Team Leader to decide on a consistent day and time for their team call. Those options are put into a poll and sent to students. Students are asked to choose the top 3 options that work best for their schedule.

From there, teams are assigned based on:

1. Meeting availability
2. A proportional split between guys and girls
3. A proportional split of Ascend Foundations (year 1), Ascend Challenge (year 2), and Ascend Launch (year 3) students.

As much as possible, based on their conversations with students on academic coaching calls or familiarity with re-enrolling students, the Ascend staff team strives to create a good balance of personalities and similar interests. (For example, if they notice that two new students mentioned the same niche hobby on their coaching call, they’ll try to put them on the same team.) 

One thing that is not part of the assignment process is location.

One of the biggest reasons for that is because one of the goals of the Ascend program is to help students build a national network while also encouraging them to mix and be part of multiple different groups/teams outside of their Ascend Team.

Throughout the year, students can expect to be part of an Ascend Team, a Ridgeline event team, and various roommate groups. Staff also hopes students form connections with classmates in their region, serving as a 4th group.

What Part Do Ascend Teams Play Throughout the Year?

Over the course of the year you will participate in monthly Ascend Team  calls where you will find consistent support and accountability.

At events, you will spend time together in discussion groups based on speaker sessions.

In between events, you will spend time discussing the monthly expert-led webinars, sharing takeaways, questions, etc.

If you’re willing to show up and invest, your Ascend Team has the potential to be where you make the most meaningful connections.

Why do First-Year Students Benefit From Ascend Teams?

The Ascend student community is one of the most loved aspects of the program, but for a first-year student it can be a bit overwhelming at the beginning.

Ascend Teams are incredibly helpful as you get your feet under you during the first few weeks. They act as a community within the community—a smaller hub that has the potential to be where you find some of the most meaningful connections throughout the year. 

Your team will be some of the first people you will connect with in Ascend and will be the people you spend the most time with outside of the events. Having a smaller group to connect with inside the larger community is a tremendous help for new students and makes the events even more enjoyable.

As well as an awesome community, Ascend Teams give amazing accountability to students.

Teams will share updates on their Ascend projects throughout the year, with the opportunity for feedback and questions. Your first Ascend project is exciting, but it can get stressful at times in the midst of doing so many other new things.

Your team is able to come around you during the whole process, with new students going through the same things and older students able to offer tips they learned from their first time. 

This leads into another reason why Ascend Teams are such an important part of the program: it brings both new and returning students together.

First-year students are able to grow relationships with students in their second or even third year, and gain wisdom from them about their experiences so far in the program. Conversely, returning students have the opportunity to put what they have learned into practice and pour into the new group of Ascend students.

The Ascend Teams help facilitate this, as you are able to get to know all the students in your group very well over the course of the year.

On top of everything else, Ascend Teams are just plain fun.

Over the course of the Ascend year, you and your team will grow closer together than you might think, sharing experiences and lots of laughs.

When you’re not at events, lots of teams will schedule calls outside the official monthly ones to play games and just hang out. During events teams will often eat meals together, engage in group discussions and hang out together during free time.

My first Ascend Team was the highlight of the first year of Ascend for me, and we still keep in touch even now.

What Challenges do First-Year Students Face on an Ascend Team?

While there’s so much to love about the Ascend Teams, that’s not to say that there aren’t any challenging aspects to it.

Honestly, the biggest hurdle is the distance. You will undoubtedly make some really amazing connections with your team, but after events everyone will still need to go home.

That is hard, even with the regular calls.

Staying connected even while you’re apart takes intentionality and patience, which at certain times can be challenging. However, it is completely possible and I can say with confidence that the effort is worth it.

In Ascend, you will often hear the phrase, “You get out of the program what you put into it.” This is just as true when it comes to the Ascend Teams. You will have the best experience when you take the time and are intentional about building connections with your team. Thankfully, Ascend is an awesome program full of awesome people, so building connections and relationships with your team has the potential to be one of the most impactful parts of the year.