Leading By Example: Celebrating Harpswell's Dorm Managers

January 21, 2022: For a Harpswell Dormitory Manager in Phnom Penh, no two days are the same. At any given time, dorm managers can be found interviewing candidates for the incoming class, supervising Khmer critical thinking courses, joining dorm tea time, brainstorming an improvement to curriculum, counseling a student on an application, corresponding with a university about scholarships and so much more. 

This week, we celebrate the incredible women who support our students daily and keep our two dorms running: Suon Raksmey ‘10 and Lok Malin. Each followed a unique path to their role in our dorms today and both bring the experience, passion and energy for this difficult and rewarding work.

The Importance of Education

Suon Raksmey began her journey in education as a child in Kampong Thom province. Although her family lacked the resources to send her to university, Raksmey strived for excellence in her studies with the support of her mother.

“My head was full of motivation and the dream of a better life than my childhood.” 

While rising to the top of her class in high school, Raksmey heard of a new leadership program run by the Harpswell Foundation supporting young women studying at university in Phnom Penh. She applied and was accepted as a member of Harpswell’s first graduating class, earning double degrees in 2010 in Biology from the Royal University of Phnom Penh and English Literature from Build Bright University. After graduating, Raksmey was chosen to pilot Harpswell’s U.S. Fellows program, spending a year at Bard College where she was ultimately inspired to continue her work in the field of education.

Like Raksmey, Lok Malin was taught the importance of education from an early age in Battambang province. Malin’s father was a teacher before thePol Pot regime and later worked to rebuild his community as a commune council member. Together with her mother, who was only able to complete three years of formal schooling, he worked tirelessly to ensure that their daughter would be able to continue her education without interruption. Malin graduated with a degree in Accounting from the National University of Management in 2005 and a degree in English Literature from the Institute of Foreign Languages in 2010.

Journey to Harpswell

Harpswell dorm managers wear many hats, from counselor to teacher to accountant. In order to do the job well, managers must bring a wealth of knowledge and experience from many fields. 

After returning to Cambodia from her year at Bard in 2011, Raksmey landed her first job as a teacher at Jay Pritzker Academy (JPA), an international school in Siem Reap. At JPA, she learned diverse teaching methodologies, how to work with an international team and what it takes to operate a bilingual program – all skills that would later prove valuable to her as a dorm manager. Her time at JPA inspired Raksmey to then pursue a Master’s in Educational Studies on full scholarship at the University of Hong Kong. 

Raksmey returned to Cambodia to serve as vice principal of a private school in Phnom Penh. In search of further ways to give back, she then joined Cambodian Children’s Fund as an early childhood education facilitator working with children in impoverished villages. By 2016, when Raksmey heard that Harpswell was recruiting a new dorm manager, she was ready to bring her diverse set of skills back to the community that had shaped her university years. 

“My heart was filled with joy at the thought of a former student becoming a dorm manager. Harpswell was where I became who I am. It is an honor to be a staff member at Harpswell now and to be able to grow alongside this institution that has shaped me so much.”

After almost a decade of schooling, Malin jumped into nonprofit work within the grants and finance sector. As a program officer for The Asia Foundation, Malin gained valuable skills in project management working to put an end to violence against women and girls in Cambodia through mobile technology. She also spent years at CARE International as a financial consultant and eventually served as financial director for the Bar Association of Cambodia. In each position, Malin prioritized working with organizations whose work supported women’s empowerment and human rights. 

It wasn’t until a friend brought her to tour Harpswell that Malin decided to fully transition her work towards women’s and girl’s education. After hearing Harpswell’s vision for using education and leadership training to equip young women for social change, Malin decided to take the leap and apply for the position of dorm manager.

“This is where my true passion in women and girl’s education was founded. I started looking for the right opportunity to get involved and I am so grateful to have found that chance at Harpswell.” 

The Life of a Dorm Manager

Dorm managers are at the heart of life at our dormitories, running all dorm activities and also acting as mentors to set a strong example of leadership for students. As TT Dorm Manager, Raksmey cares for around 40 students as they go about their studies and dorm classes and responsibilities. After five years in this role, she has certainly set the tone with her gentle yet firm leadership style, genuine curiosity and desire to continue learning. 

“I love to watch Harpswell students grow. Every day, I am grateful to play a role with these future leaders as they find their path. Joining Harpswell to work with incredible students and with a wonderful team of colleagues makes each day of work inspiring and joyful. This work makes me hopeful for my country.”  

At BT dorm, Malin manages about 30 students. Although newer to the role, her dependable leadership, calm demeanor and belief in the students has been an invaluable asset during the pandemic. Students have truly blossomed under her guidance.

“With the support of our staff team and a commitment to learn with our students, my passion grows bigger and bigger along with my hope for the future of Cambodia. The day-to-day development of students with the full support of Harpswell’s leadership and colleagues keeps me going tirelessly.”

Harpswell’s dorms are at the center of Harpswell’s work to equip the next generation of young women leaders to be change agents. The dorms would not be the communities of care and learning they are today without the leadership of our dorm managers, past and present. We are especially grateful for the work of Raksmey and Malin, who embody the Harpswell spirit and are an inspiration to students and staff alike.