By: Nich Vunn 

​It’s the end of the year, which is a great time to reflect on the wonderful moments of 2018 and to say thank you to the people I love. Over the past few months at Gettysburg College, I have already grown far beyond what I had hoped and expected. I knew it was going to be different and challenging, but life-changing. 

My journey began when I first landed at John F. Kennedy airport in NYC on the 12th of August. After almost a 24 hours flight from Siem Reap, Cambodia, I was beaten down. I was tired and wanted nothing more than a good nap. However, after seeing my lead mentor Justin Launer at the airport, my fear and exhaustion started to disappear. I was so excited to finally meet Justin and Laura and their two wonderful girls after many emails and Skype calls over the past year. My ride from the airport to their apartment was eye opening. I could not stop gazing at those big tall buildings I had only seen in Hollywood movies. I pinched myself a couple times to test whether what I was seeing was real. In Cambodia, NYC only existed in my dreams and that day it became a reality. For the next four days in NYC, I had the most fun time exploring the city. Justin and Laura got me subway tickets and maps to help me navigate through the city. It was stressful yet exhilarating. I got to see iconic places such as the MET, the Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park, Liberty Island and even got a selfie with the Statue of Liberty! It was overwhelming but when I was looking at the city from the top Rockefeller Center, I realized that my four years in the U.S. will change me for the better forever.  

When I arrived at Gettysburg College a few days later, I finally got to meet my other mentor Anne on campus. She helped me settle in my room with Justin and Laura. It was great to finally meet my roommate too. After we unpacked we had a wonderful meal with my new SHE-CAN sister, Irene Mugeni and her mentors. I also got to update my mentor Grace in Switzerland all about my exciting new transition. The first night alone in my room was emotional, I realized that I finally made it to college here in the United States. After a few weeks, I started to adjust to my new environment and schedule. Being the only international student in all of my classes was nerve-racking but it taught me patience. It was not easy but Laura told me that comfort comes with time and she is right. I am also lucky to have amazing SHE-CAN sisters like Vouchnear Ly and Irene Mugeni who provide such amazing support and insightful advice. ​

I’ve now started getting involved with different activities and programs here on campus. With help from Anne, I got an on-campus job as a food service worker at the student dining center. This job teaches me to budget and manage my time wisely. This job teaches me to budget and manage my time wisely. I am also involved with the Garthweith Leadership Program and have an amazing coach named Emily Clark, she is very caring and supportive of my education at Gettysburg. Towards to the end of the semester, I went on a trip with the program to the Gettysburg Military Museum and listened to a lecture on leadership. Listening to stories of leaders during the Civil War, the Civil Rights Movement, and even current leaders on the historical Gettysburg site was surreal for me. The leaders inspired me that I too can make positive changes in my community. I was also able to share our Cambodian culture with my friends here at Gettysburg during the multicultural show called Burgburst. We proudly wore our traditional Khmer clothes and walked with our Cambodian flag on stage.

After mid-term week, Thanksgiving finally arrived. Anne invited me to celebrate with her family in Albany, New York. I heard so much about Thanksgiving and I was excited that my first celebration would be with Anne and her family. Gettysburg is already cold for me but Upstate New York was on another level of cold. It was below zero and I was not used to it. Anne taught me how to prepare food for dinner. I learned how to make dip sauce and everyone loved it. We then each said what we were thankful for. It was surreal to say thank you to Anne right in front of her after many Skype calls. During my visit, I also got to make a traditional Cambodian dish named Lok Lak for them. It was such an honor for me to introduce a piece of my culture. We then watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and I really love the spirit. The next day, we drove further north. The temperature started to drop, so I had to add more layers. Anne taught me everything about how to dress properly for winter and I am confident that I am ready for this upcoming winter! They took me to the Ski Jumping complex in Lake Placid where the 1932 Winter Olympics took place. Anne joked that she will make me the first Winter Olympian from Cambodia and I can reassure you that there is a slim chance that will happen. We ended our trip with my very first ice hockey game.

That’s all the updates I have for you now. I am excited that I will soon see my SHE-CAN sisters in January for our leadership training. It is going to be the most epic reunion and I cannot wait to see everyone at SHE-CAN in San Francisco too!