For the last eight years, Asha says her Club has been her “chosen home.” The Club wasn’t just a “safe, affordable aftercare option for my parents,” says Asha, “but for me, it was a whirlwind of activities and new opportunities.” This whirlwind has taken her so many places and built so many skills, from cooking to public speaking to learning about real estate.

It was cooking, especially cooking on a team, that first sparked Asha’s passions at the Club. “Mushroom barley soup? Tackled. Cranberry oatmeal cookies? Conquered. Teamwork? Mastered. Cooking classes were the first places I learned about the incredible outcomes of collaborating with my peers.”

Later when Asha was a high schooler, she helped the younger students learn how to count their money on field trips, facilitated Teen Talks, attended the Keystone Conference, and worked as Junior Staff to help manage the front desk and advocate for her Club. After COVID-19, Asha took up the cause of food security, working closely with her local food pantry to serve guests, load cars with fresh produce and more.

Today, Asha thanks the Club for many of the places she’s gone, from speaking in front of D.C.’s City Council to meeting with the city’s top real estate developers. She was even the youngest person at her table during the Youth in Real Estate Luncheon. “My Club opened up doors of possibility while shutting the windows of my insecurities. The table was set, and I had a seat, not because of who I was, but because of who I was becoming.”