Leaders and members of the Ascend Student Chapter include (from left) Zach Wang, Jerry Huang, Peter Vu, Cammy Nguyen, Sally Ka and Alyson Ngo. (Photo by Delia Joyce)
When Peter Vu transferred within Temple University from the College of Engineering to the Fox School of Business in his sophomore year, he searched for a way to get involved in the business school community.
“I wanted to find an organization at the Fox School that I could connect with and make my transition a little easier after switching schools,” Vu says. “I knew that getting involved in a student group, especially paired with my studies, could help me gain the experience and connections I needed.”
Enter Ascend Temple Student Chapter.
A long-standing Student Professional Organization (SPO) at Fox, Ascend works in promoting the development of and fostering the leadership skills of Asian and Pacific Islander students who are pursuing careers in accounting, finance and management information systems (MIS).
Since he first joined the group over two years ago, Vu has done much more than get involved in the organization—he currently serves as their president.
“Looking back to when I transferred, I am so grateful to have found Ascend,” Vu says. “The transition to business school from engineering was one of the most challenging, and uncertain times of my life. Almost immediately the group that made me feel, and still makes me feel, the most at home. Being in a part of the chapter has had such a positive impact on not just my college experience, but my life.”
Ascend is supported by, and their own Student Chapter Branch of, the global Ascend network. At Fox, the group provides its members opportunities to enhance their career readiness through establishing a strong professional foundation, expanding their network and working with their chapter colleagues to gain valuable skills, insights and knowledge.
As the chapter’s leader, Vu, who received a full-time employment offer with PwC after graduation, sees the importance of what Ascend provides to its members, particularly through collaboration.
“Our chapter’s main goal to help advance the professional development of our members and individuals with Asian and Pacific Islander (AAPI) backgrounds,” Vu says. “We accomplish this through providing them with specialized resources, such as workshops, networking events and mentorship opportunities, which are all vitally important.
“The work we do provides our diverse membership base with the chance to gain the knowledge needed to break into competitive business industries successfully.” – Peter Vu
A cornerstone of the chapter is the events they host each academic year. Their event lineup includes hosting industry speakers, networking sessions, outings at professional firms like BDO, Deloitte and KPMG and more.
A highlight of these offerings included the Ascend Symposium in the spring of 2024, a collaborative outing co-hosted with EY’s Pan-Asian Professional Network (PAPN), the Ascend Greater Philadelphia Chapter and the Ascend chapters of Drexel University and Villanova University.
“The symposium was an immensely successful accomplishment for our chapter,” Vu says. “The event featured panel discussions, breakout sessions and networking opportunities with industry leaders and professionals.
“While the event offered so many benefits to us and our members, even more so, it was such a celebration for the next generation of AAPI industry professionals.”
The faculty at Fox take note of the impact Ascend has, as cited by the chapter’s faculty advisor, David Jones, an accounting professor of practice.
“Serving as faculty advisor for Ascend has been immensely rewarding,” Jones says. “The chapter does a great job at providing their membership with important knowledge and connections that will truly serve them in their careers beyond their time in the classroom.
“Through their strong leadership and commitment to offering top-tier events and opportunities, it makes me proud to see the chapter’s tangible growth and expansion, which will surely continue in the years ahead.”
In addition to maintaining impressive links to the top accounting firms like Deloitte, PwC, EY, KPMG and more, Ascend is proud to showcase its commitment to imperative community initiatives, like diversity, equity and inclusion. An important component of the group is the work they do to support the common hurdles faced by members of the Pan-Asian community, described as Vu as “general shyness,” “fear of the unknown” and “fear of failure.”
“A pillar of our efforts is to promote the importance of diversity and inclusion in the business world, which I believe we achieve through offering the future industry leaders from the Pan-Asian community a way to gain professional experiences,” Vu says.
“A pillar of our efforts is to promote the importance of diversity and inclusion in the business world, which I believe we achieve through offering the future industry leaders from the Pan-Asian community a way to gain professional experiences.” – Peter Vu
Encouraged by this concept, Vu weaves the group’s goals into the fabric of the Fox school’s mission itself.
“As president, a goal I have for our organization is not just to support and inspire our members, but also everyone in the Fox community around us,” Vu says. “We offer our members, some coming from underprivileged sectors, the opportunity to pursue their professional aspirations, which contributes to greater equity and equality in society.
“I know for me, I still make mistakes every day, but through the work we do and the tight-knit community we have within Ascend, it’s helped me personally reach a place where I can do what I want for myself, and not worry about validating myself in the eyes of others—to me, a concept like that can lift our entire community up.”