Vanika Sok is attending Lafayette College. Vanika wants to be a changemaker and inspire women around the world to take up leadership positions. She quickly found ways to get engaged on campus, and is part of the Lafayette Data Community, Women in Computing Club, Kovalevsky Society, and has also joined the International Student Association. Vanika won the Best Overall Hackathon Award from Lafayette College’s Association for Computing Machinery for a project on a mental health website featuring a chatbox, games, digital journal, and videos, designed to alleviate stress.

Vanika grew up first in rural Kampong Cham Province at a teacher training college where her father worked and later in Siem Reap, near Angkor Wat. After graduating from high school in 2020 as the top ranked student, Vanika was awarded scholarships to four different universities. 

Before coming to the U.S. Vanika was Team Leader for the first ever book fair in Siem Reap, run by the Center for Khmer Studies and American Corner; She led two teams plus a 5,000 person event. After witnessing many of her peers  – especially young girls – being bullied online, a problem that was further exacerbated during the pandemic, Vanika ran a Virtual workshop on the importance of fighting against cyberbullying. She also volunteered at the Women’s Crisis Center where she helped women suffering from domestic violence and sex trafficking, and raised awareness through events that educated the community and visiting tourists.

Vanika is passionate about helping girls engage in leadership roles, learn about the power of technology, and step into their power to change the world.

Highlights From Vanika’s Work Experience:

Research Assistant, Head of Economic Department

Peer Captain, International Student Association at Lafayette College

Director of Finance, Cambodia Student Association in the United States of America (CSAUSA)

Mentored Study Group Leader, Intermediate Microeconomics (ECON 251)

Board Member, Lafayette Data Community 

Dean’s List GPA: 3.81

Languages Spoken: English, Khmer, and Chinese