CWA Blog Archive-What I Loved About The 2022 CWA Summit

What I Loved About The 2022 CWA Summit

Pdf Summary

This personal reflection captures the emotion and inspiration of the 2022 CWA Summit in Salt Lake City through the author's firsthand experience. It opens with a vivid scene: lights dimming, music flaring, and then-Executive Director Paula Horwitz walking on stage with her silver mohawk, pumping her fist as the crowd got stoked, a moment when the author looked across the hall and knew they were with their people. Before introducing keynote speaker Kevin Jorgeson, Horwitz shared a heartfelt story about her dad encouraging her to be who she was and always remember who she was, prompting the author to reflect on their own identity among their team and community. The author had anticipated the conference for two years and arrived with clear goals: connections to make, challenges to conquer, and insight to discover. The keynote centered on Kevin Jorgeson, appearing on the big screen from inside his big, beautiful new climbing gym, Session, his pandemic passion project finally about to open. Jorgeson recalled a defining moment eight years earlier when he heard Tommy Caldwell call out to a new generation to push beyond what they thought possible. Caldwell had a new project and needed help, and Jorgeson answered. Together in the winter of 2015, through pain, grit, and support, the two summited the Dawn Wall on El Capitan as the world cheered. The throughline is that the CWA Summit's value lies as much in emotional connection, inspiration, and community as in formal education. Through the author's account, the Summit emerges as a place where attendees feel they're among their people, draw motivation from stories like Horwitz's about identity and Jorgeson's about answering a call to push limits, and reconnect with a shared sense of purpose. The reflection personalizes what a professional conference can offer beyond sessions: belonging, inspiration, and the renewed drive that comes from gathering with a community around a shared passion, with Jorgeson's Dawn Wall story serving as a powerful reminder of what grit and support can accomplish.

Asset Caption

A personal reflection on the 2022 CWA Summit's emotional power. From Paula Horwitz's mohawked, fist-pumping entrance and story about identity, to Kevin Jorgeson's keynote from his new gym recalling the Dawn Wall ascent with Tommy Caldwell, the author captures how the Summit offers belonging, inspiration, and renewed purpose beyond formal education.