Below you will find our scholar blog posts – they cover a variety of topics, from arriving in the U.S. to interning with a stellar company to post-graduation dreams.
![]() | Theary Heang is currently attending Gettysburg College, class of 2024. Walking along the streets of the apartment complex neighborhood area in Arlington, Virginia, I felt the warm morning sun touching my face. My eyes scanned the new, unfamiliar blocks that would be my home for the summer. Upon arriving at the metro station, I joined many others waiting for the next subway train headed to the city center. While waiting for the train, I realized how calm and familiar I felt, moving about the metro, and figuring my way through the crowd, even though it was the first day of this fresh |
![]() | The majority of African countries have poor healthcare systems, and the burden of COVID-19 has put an enormous strain on the health systems. I have always wondered how I could impact the health sector positively in Africa, especially in my home country, Liberia. To help educate people about COVID-19 back in my home country, my project team members and I created the "Safe Community, Healthy Lives" project to create a proper and resourceful awareness of COVID-19. The project's primary purpose was to ensure that all communities were safe from the virus, including people with health disabilities. Thinking of this, I |
![]() | Courage owning the spotlight As I am approaching the end of my freshman year, I can ALMOST say, 1 year down, 3 more to go! It is similar to the feeling you get when you finally check off something from your to-do list that has been there for quite a while. It feels both accomplishing and relieving simultaneously. My first year has been many things, but the first two words that come to mind when I think of it are eye-opening and fulfilling! Eye-opening because I quickly realized that the world no longer revolved around me as it did when |
![]() | 7:00 am: wake up, prepare breakfast, pack lunch, make tea, and morning routine in general. Commute about an hour to my internship at the Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Center. 9:00 am starts with emails. Administrative work, meetings, and research during work time. Leave the internship at 5:00 pm. Commute “home” for about an hour. Talk to Mom and friends in between commutes. Make a light snack, sometimes take a nap when I arrive home, and prepare for class. 6:30 pm- 9:30 pm: Activism, Protest, and Social Movements class. After, return to the apartment for a home-cooked dinner. 10 pm- 11:30: |
![]() | When I was in Cambodia, I knew that my journey to the U.S. through SHE-CAN is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I believed it is going to be a transformative time for me. However, it took me quite a bit of time to understand and feel the transformation I was experiencing. After spending three semesters at the University of Portland, one thing I have learned about myself is that making new friends and meeting new people is something I really enjoy doing and that has made a great impact in my life. Being born and raised in rural |