Young Professionals of Wichita

My last post featured Suzie Finn, Executive Director of Young Professionals of Wichita. The information which follows includes Suzie's answers to questions I asked regarding the Young Professionals of Wichita organization.

How do people join YPW? Just go to the website and click “join now”.  http://www.ypwichita.org/

What does it cost? Membership is free for WSU Students because WSU is a corporate sponsor. Membership is also free for alumni if they work for any one of the corporate sponsors.

What age people belong to YPW? Age 21 – 40. The junior or senior year in college is the ideal time to join. However, there will soon be a new initiative – Nexus – that will focus on helping students make connections earlier.

What happens at a typical YPW meeting? Some meetings are social events and held at restaurants/bars. Most are free. There is a charge for “ultra mingles” -- for example, baseball games.

It sounds as if YPW is primarily a social organization. We typically host 3-7 events every month. One of those is a purely social event; the rest have some sort of education, professional development, or service component that is the focus of the event. While there is always time for networking/socializing at events, there is much more to YPW than that.

Are there ways to be actively involved? Yes, be part of a team. Teams meet monthly.

What are some of the teams? Teams include a team that plans events, a team that plans lunch and learns, the professional development team, and the community relations team that plans community service.

What are some of the community service projects YPW participates in? The Kansas Food Bank and Big Brothers Big Sisters. The largest community service of the year is ENHANCE through which YPW members work on the exteriors of homes for people in the community who need help.

What is the best way to get involved in YPW? There is another team --the leadership link team. It is probably the best team for college students to get involved in. This team focuses on political awareness and gives team members the opportunity to meet with elected officials in Wichita and Sedgwick County.

Why should WSU students/alumni join Young Professionals of Wichita? YPW provides the opportunity to network with other YPW members and also more experienced professionals in the community. It also gives people the chance to meet HR representatives from many different organizations in Wichita.

Are you still asking “why join YPW?” I would ask why wouldn’t you?