The 2014 YouthCon Scholarship Program was the first YouthCon event to be conducted as well as organized by the students of AASuccess. YouthCon’s 2014 first-place winner, Tristan Tran, was awarded along with many other participants.
After hosting the YouthCon Scholarship Program for 3 years, the YouthCon team decided to alter the way the event was originally organized. The YouthCon team believed it would be a good opportunity to allow AASuccess students to take part in the planning process. The purpose was to expose the students to a considerable amount of responsibility and cooperation. In return, they would further develop the skills needed to handle larger tasks in a team-based environment. After countless hours of preparation and the support from the YouthCon team, the AASuccess students were successful in hosting the 2014 YouthCon Scholarship Program. Tristan Tran also became the first place winner of the first student-led YouthCon Scholarship Program in AASuccess history.
“…after reflecting on my time at AASuccess, I have become a completely different person. I realize that without AASuccess, I wouldn’t be as driven or as self-aware as I am today. Today, I am a part of many organizations and on the executive board for two of them. I happily and strongly lead conversations toward bettering both organizations because I found that I was passionate in what I was doing. AASuccess honestly pulled out the leader in me…” (Tristin Tran, 2014 Primary Sponsor Award Scholarship Recipient)
After the 2014 YouthCon event, YouthCon believed that students were capable of leading the scholarship program. To this day, AASuccess students have managed to successfully host the scholarship program annually. The 2014 YouthCon Scholarship Program gave future AASuccess students many opportunities to learn and grow in an environment that required an immense amount of responsibility. Students were able to display their ability to work in a team setting as well as take on a leadership role. Since its inception, the student-led YouthCon event has consistently strengthened the trust between students and mentors in AASuccess, and motivated students to take on bigger responsibilities and positions in future events.
