Liberal Arts Major(s): Psychology
Hometown: Washington, D.C.

What was the best part of your experience?

The best part of this experience was interacting and doing hands-on activities with the Khmer children. Because this experience was a part of a development class, we were able to experience how these children adapt to obstacles, challenges, and new tasks. Being able to interact with the children was heart-warming because they were so happy and energetic.

This experience helped me determine what I want to pursue as a career

How did this experience impact you academically?

This experience provided me with new information and experiences. This experience provided me with a historical background of Cambodia, alongside the U.S. In this experience, I've learned that many of the reasons that Cambodia is a "poor" country is because of the many bombs and missiles that the U.S. sent to Cambodia during the Vietnam War. I also learned about Buddhism and the significance of the many temples throughout Cambodia. This experience also broadened my perspective on other countries, their resources, and way of life.

How will this experience impact your career goals?

This experience helped me determine what I want to pursue as a career. Being in Cambodia and learning about their developing educational system helped me realize that education is not valued across the world. For my career, I want to work with youth who have not had the opportunity to be educated due to socioeconomic or family reasons. This experience provided me with the opportunity to experience why education is important and why I should be grateful in all aspects of the system because not all parts of the world are fortunate. As a career, I want to help those in need. This experience allowed me to see children with a desire to learn even though education is an option in this country. I want to help give everyone an opportunity to experience options and things that they are not pushed to do.