Signature Events & Programming

ASCEND is the APIMEDA welcome event designed to help welcome new undergraduates to the campus and to our community. It is a great opportunity for students to gain more information about our campus, get to know the resources on the campus, and meet people from identities similar to their own. Via different activities and discussions, ASCEND hopes to provide new APIMEDA students with a welcoming environment and with a space that allows them to make lasting friendships and connections with people.

"I learned that a lot of my experiences as a mixed Asian-American are shared, which makes me feel less nervous to join mixed and Asian spaces because I know I'm not alone in my experience"

―2024 ASCEND Attendee

 “It was very nice to know that there were people like me here at UCSD. It really gave me a sense of community”

―Rabia Syed, 2017 ASCEND Attendee

ASCEND was held in Fall 2024 on September 28, 2024. We expect to hold ASCEND again in Fall 2025, but please check out our other events and subscribe to our newsletter!

The APIMEDA Community and Coalition Conference is a free, day-long, engaged experience that is designed to provide members of the UC San Diego APIMEDA community strategies for creating coalitions and community within UC San Diego using authentic experiences from your mind, heart, and hands. It is intended for undergraduate students to implement their community and coalition plans with their peers. This conference may help members of different student organizations that fall under APIMEDA gain a much deeper understanding of their commonalities and the ways they can think about their shared experiences.

From the basis of what all participants learn about one another, opportunities are born for students to make better and intentional plans, and with the help of staff who can advise them, they can set practical goals to carry out their ideas that can build stronger communities and coalitions.

The Community & Coalition Conference was last held on Saturday October 26 from 9:00AM - 4:00PM. We expect to host another conference in the following academic year.

“I learned more about what a community means. There are many different implications and definitions a community can have.”

-Fall 2017 participant

“Seeing both parallels and differences in other people's migration patterns gave me a great deal of empathy, and introduced me to commonalities I can build on.”

-Fall 2017 participant

"It had a big impact for me to feel like I'm not alone on this campus and give me connections of support in some trying times."

-Fall 2017 participant

The Discovering Your Career Compass workshops are meant to help APIMEDA students learn strategies that can help students use what is important to them to find their academic and career paths. You can attend a general workshop, which will give you a sense of some of the strategies and allow you to engage with other students about how you can all learn these strategies. You can also apply to attend a small group workshop, which will provide more specific information related to developing your Career Compass and provide you with opportunities to connect one-on-one with advising and other staff who can help you use the strategies you learned.

When the next Career Compass workshop is scheduled, it should appear on our Events Calendar. We recommend that you subscribe to the APIMEDA Newsletter or follow us on Instagram for the most up to date information!

In collaboration with the LGBT Resource Center, this event is an opportunity to be in community and discuss intersecting identities APIMEDA and LGBT identities.

Note: This event was created to be an intentional, safe community space for individuals within the intersecting identities.

April is recognized as National Arab American Heritage Month.  APIMEDA Programs and Services hosts some events and programs to celebrate Arab Americans, allowing us to celebrate the experiences of the Arab community while exploring intersectional identities of the community.

The Arab American Association (AAA) at UC San Diego also hosted the inaugural Arab American Heritage Month Celebration in April 2024.

May is recognized as Asian Pacific Islander American (APIA) Heritage Month.  In collaboration with campus partners, APIMEDA Programs and Services hosts events during May to celebrate Asian Pacific Islander Americans.  Recognizing the history of APIA communities in the United States and spotlighting the different APIA identities allows us to celebrate while continuing to grow our understanding.  

Learn more about the most recent APIA Heritage Celebration at their Blink page