Avenues of Participation

Poster Session

This participation avenue involves giving a presentation using a printed poster that covers any technical or non-technical topic of choice and relates to this year’s Katalyst theme of Project U - Prototype Your Professional Journey. It invites students to visualize and share a piece of their professional journey: their career prototype. Whether it’s a research project, an internship story, a skill you’ve built, or a passion project, your poster is your design board: a snapshot of how you’ve experimented, learned, and grown in shaping your path.

Each poster should highlight an experience or idea that helped you “prototype” who you want to become. The goal isn’t to present something perfect, but to reflect on how curiosity, iteration, and exploration have shaped your learning and career direction.

Poster Topics

Examples of technical topics include science, research projects, internship experiences, and career strategies. Examples of non-technical or “passion” topics include personal finance, AI, Web3, etc. Ultimately, all posters should be developed with the conference theme & audience in mind, to fit under one of the following categories:

1. Academic Research Prototype: A study, research project, or experiment you contributed to and what you learned from it.

2. Industry / Internship Prototype: A professional experience or technical project that helped you test a potential career direction.

3. Leadership & Personal Growth Prototype: A story of leading, mentoring, or building community — and how you grew through the process.

4. Passion Project Prototype: A personal initiative, creative pursuit, or side project that taught you something about your identity or aspirations.

📢Project Ur Journey

The Project Ur Journey avenue offers participants the opportunity to take the stage and deliver a 3-minute pitch sharing their concise, impactful story of their personal and professional journey. Whether it’s a moment of breakthrough, a leadership experience, or a challenge that reshaped their path, each pitch offers a snapshot of how participants have been “prototyping” their professional selves.

Through this format, students will practice communicating their story with clarity and confidence. The goal is not to present perfection, but to inspire others with lessons learned, pivotal moments, and next steps in their ongoing journey.

Pitch Structure

Each participant will deliver an individual, live 3-minute presentation in front of all attendees, mentors, and peers. Pitches should:

• Be authentic, engaging, and connected to the conference theme, Project U - Prototype Your Professional Journey

• Highlight a defining experience, such as a research project, internship, leadership role, or personal challenge

• End with a reflection on how this experience has shaped the participant’s goals or mindset

Participants are encouraged to use storytelling techniques: a strong opening, a clear narrative, and a memorable closing message. Visual aids are not required, but brief props or slides may be used if they enhance clarity and impact.

Example Topics

• Persistence through failed experiments, redefining success in lab work, switching fields to find purpose

• Learning communication in engineering teams, adapting after a failed prototype, discovering creativity in coding

• Leading research teams under pressure, turning rejection into growth, mentoring peers in STEM outreach

YG Group Leaders Session

The YG Group Leader Session provides a special opportunity for KSEA YG Group leaders from across the nation to interact, collaborate, and exchange ideas in an engaging roundtable format.

Through this session, participants will share unique experiences, managerial challenges, and organizational insights. Leaders will collaboratively brainstorm solutions for challenges common to YG Groups (i.e., increasing participation rates, planning large-scale events, and transitioning leadership). In addition to structured discussion, this session will also include opportunities for informal networking and collaboration between YG Groups.

Eligibility

Open to current undergraduate YG Group leaders: Presidents, Vice Presidents, and other key officers within recognized YG Groups. Non-YG leaders and graduate student officers are not eligible.

Presenter Benefits

Presenters will receive:

• Discounted registration fee

• Up to $200 flight reimbursements

• Lodging support during the conference (standard: shared rooms) 

• Lunch, coffee, and dinner provided within registration fee

• Chance to win $200 award

Registration Fee

• Presenters: $75

  • Includes: Meals (Lunch, Coffee, Dinner), 2 nights of lodging (with roommates), up to $200 flight reimbursements 

• Non-Presenters: $100 

  • Includes: Meals (Lunch, Coffee, Dinner), 2 nights of lodging (with roommates)

Travel Reimbursement

Travel reimbursement is distance-based, based on shortest distance from the participant's residence (where they reside > 6 months in a year) to the conference location.
Travel reimbursement is provided for flights, bus, and train only. Taxi/rideshare costs will not be reimbursed. For any questions, please contact us at katalyst@ksea.org. 

 < 100 mi:          Up to $25
100 - 299 mi:    Up to $50
300 - 749 mi:    Up to $100
750 - 1499 mi:  Up to $150
> 1500 mi          Up to $200

Application Link

Click here to complete the application

Application Deadline: Monday, November 3rd, 2025