The WiSH Education Foundation and the Soroptomist International of Valencia hosted a conference Saturday to empower young women.  The first annual ASCEND event was held at the Saugus High School Performing Arts Center, where students were able to listen to keynote speakers from different fields.  The event’s name serves as an acronym for Achieve, Succeed, Confidence, Empower, Nuture and Drive, and is a combination of WiSH’s “Women & Girls in Business” event and the Soroptomist International of Valencia’s “Dream It, Be It” event.   Amy Daniels, executive director of WiSH, said that the event’s chair Christy Alben, who is also a Soroptomist, helped the organizations partner for ASCEND.  Daniels said they hoped this event would instill a newfound sense of confidence in young men and women.  “The main focus of today is to show our young women and young men that there are lots of pathways to success, and it takes a lot to maintain drive and motivation,” Daniels said. “It’s very important that we understand that failure is just a tool towards success. Every one of our speakers has a story to tell that shows what they overcame, how they overcame it and that they are stronger because of it.”  Jessica Campbell, chief executive officer of PO3, was one of the event’s keynote speakers. Campbell, who started her own marketing agency within the music industry, said that she loved giving advice to young women who might have been in her place when she was younger.   “My personal mission is to leave the world better than it was before I got here,” Campbell said in an interview with The Signal. “Every single person in this room chose to be here, even if their parents dragged them. Everyone in that room I think is wanting to learn and be better, and it’s really exciting to speak life into a group of people that share that same exact thought.”  Campbell spoke alongside five other motivational speakers, including Boston Scientific Process Development Manager Karema Chantasirivisal, 300 Financial Group Senior Associate Olga Campbell, Hello Auto Group Marketing Director Samantha Morrow, psychotherapist Heather DeAngelis, Hardcore Fitness Owner Duressa Powers and Move, Nourish and Breathe CEO Nadine Young.  Daniels said that one of WiSH’s primary goals is to support student wellness through funding. The organization funds student programs that are not completely covered by tax dollars, she said.   Before funding, though, she said that the organization acts as a middleman, helping schools figure out if there is money already available for programs that isn’t being used.  “We want to provide this resource to our community and get as many young girls and boys here to benefit from this resource in the future,” Daniels said. “We really do rely on the community to ensure that our students, no matter their passions or challenges have the tools for success needed in a classroom.”  Daniels also said that not only does she feel like ASCEND is important for young women, but also for young men to learn to support women.   “We need to teach our boys that it’s OK for women to be confident and successful,” Daniels said. “Many of these women were told a lot of times, particularly by men, that what they could not do and be, and [these women] proved them all wrong.”    The post Young girls ASCEND with local conference  appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.