Welcoming Four Harpswell U.S. Fellows
August 5, 2021: Since 2010, Harpswell has sent two to six exceptional graduates each year to the United States as fellows. These alumnae are able to study, live and explore life in the U.S. at one of our six partner universities throughout the country. The fellows program is a fantastic opportunity for students to gain additional knowledge and experience for one year before returning to Cambodia to continue their personal and professional development.
The 48 fellows who have completed the program in the last decade have gone on to continue their education in graduate schools around the world, lead in their chosen fields and apply the skills gained during their time as fellows to their work.
This year, Harpswell is thrilled to bring four exceptional fellows to Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tennessee. Due to the unique circumstances of the pandemic, two graduates of the class of 2020 and two graduates of the class of 2021 will be making the journey to the U.S. in the coming week. We talked with Chheng Usa ‘20, Then Yanuth ‘20, En Malen ‘21 and Yarn Somphors ‘21 as they prepare to travel to Memphis:
What are you most excited for during your time at Christian Brothers?
Chheng Usa: “I’m looking forward to meeting new people at CBU, getting involved in different activities organized by the school and travelling throughout the US… [The program] is also a way of spreading Cambodian culture - to let the world know more about us, our culture and our uniqueness as a developing country.”
Yarn Somphors: “In my opinion, the most exciting thing about this journey is the journey itself - this is a dream come true for me! I always dreamed of immersing myself fully in American society and exploring how people there work, study, and live their lives. Now, I can fully experience it.”
What is something you hope to learn while you are a US fellow?
Then Yanuth: “I want to make the most of my time at CBU. I’d like to learn more about communication and research methods, and I hope to join a book club to understand more about the overseas culture of sharing and collaborating.”
How have the skills you learned at Harpswell prepared you for this opportunity?
En Malen: “Harpswell has been a great place to develop myself. I have improved both academically and professionally, especially my critical thinking and leadership skills. I believe that these skills will help a lot with the upcoming journey to the U.S. Furthermore, I am quite familiar with American culture and education systems as a result of the leadership residents at Harpswell, who are mostly from the U.S., and my university program, which is an imitation of the American system.”
Then Yanuth: “Critical thinking courses and leadership seminars gave me critical tools needed to understand world events. Research and analysis was also one of my favorite courses and it led me to apply to join the fellowships program. I am thankful to Harpswell for always encouraging students to lead and grow.”
We know that each of these students will thrive in their year at CBU and we look forward to following along! As Yarn Somphors said, “This milestone is very important for me because I strongly believe that it is going to open so many doors of opportunities for me for the next chapter of my life.”