Month: January 2023

This summer was a whole new experience for me. I got an opportunity to travel back to Cambodia to do an internship and complete my Make a Change Project. From mid-May to early August, I did a part-time internship with Plan International Cambodia, working on Integrated Nutrition, Early Childhood Care Development, and WASH Program. Plan International Cambodia is a non-profit organization that strives for a just world that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. They’ve supported children, especially the most marginalized, to realize their potential since 2002. As a program intern, I worked closely with my supervisor to assist the Healthy Starts which aims to reduce stunting among children aged 0-5, promote zero open defecation, and enable children and their families to have sustained access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene services. […]

Read More… from Sochea’s Sweet Summer

Amidst the Covid-19 outbreak, I was so glad that my mother, brothers, relatives, and friends were able to say goodbye to me at the airport as I departed for my higher education and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in the United States of America. Like many other young women, leaving family and loved ones behind is one of the most courageous decisions I’ve ever made. I knew I was making the right decision, not only for myself and my family but for my country, Cambodia. It did not hit me that I would be leaving all these priceless realities behind until the moment I packed my bags and got ready for my departure in the middle of the night on August 5th, 2021. […]

Read More… from Sokvy’s First-Year Experiences in the U.S.

Summer was not something I thought about when I was in Cambodia. It’s a tropical climate with just dry and rainy seasons; the hot weather was just a constant throughout the year. Plus, I did not have a three-month-long break from school either. I believe that was why I started planning my first summer after two months in the U.S. The thought of gaining many experiences outside the school in the first summer abroad filled my head with dreams of what I could do and had me smiling from ear to ear. I imagined and planned my PERFECT first summer. However, little did I know that the closer it got to my summer break, the more plans I had made during the school year fell apart for many unforeseen circumstances. Although this was a bumpy journey, I am glad to be able to gain alternative experiences this summer. […]

Read More… from Wuthikah’s First Summer in the U.S. – The Perfect Summer That was Falling Apart

The little positive things we do for people and our community have the power to transform an entire generation. As Robert Ingersol said, we rise by lifting others,” so my mentors have been and are still doing just that. SHE-CAN saw how bold, persistent, confident, and cheerful I was during their application process and thought I needed to be mentored. Therefore, SHE-CAN brought it all together by finding a team of mentors for me which since then has been a blessing to my leadership growth and career path in Liberia. They have helped me boost my organization—WeCanLiberia, which has schooled 4 students in rural Bong, Grand Bassa, and Montserrado—and impacted 100 unprivileged girls in West Point—one of the biggest slums in Monrovia ​with personal hygiene knowledge and skills training. […]

Read More… from Just Doing Deborah

I can’t believe I’ve just finished my second year at Syracuse University. So much has happened so quickly. I am now a summer program assistant for the SummerStart program and my residents feed my denial of how long I’ve been at Syracuse. They think I’m one of the freshmen, and I haven’t ultimately come to terms with being a junior. Perhaps I feel old or want more years at Syracuse because I’ve enjoyed it so much. It is definitely a combination of both. This blog post will feature some things I enjoyed during the past academic year. […]

Read More… from Sythong’s Super Summer