August 15, 2023: YSEALI or Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative is a competitive opportunity funded by the US government for emerging leaders in Southeast Asia to participate in a cultural exchange in the United States. This past spring, two members of the Harpswell Cambodia Women’s Leadership Program community were accepted into this prestigious program. Keo Knnika ‘23 participated in a five-week Social Entrepreneurship program at University of Texas and Soy Sreyneth ‘21 participated in a five-week Civic Engagement program at University of Nebraska. Read on to learn more about each of their experiences at YSEALI.

Keo Knnika ‘23: YSEALI Spring 2023, Social Entrepreneurship and Economic Development University of Texas at Austin

My host institute for the YSEALI program was University of Texas in Austin, Texas. My first reaction when I arrived in Austin was indescribable. I felt surprised to see a lot of tall buildings with modern American styles that are very different from my country, and the environment is clean with many trees. Before I went to the U.S, I used to study about Texas for Harpswell CDD classes (critical thinking current event classes) and thought that it was unsafe because people there have a right to carry guns. But when I arrived there, I saw how friendly Americans were; I also felt safe when I went outside at night with my peers. 

During the program, I met a lot of young leaders from Southeast Asian countries. We faced the same issues, but the way we addressed the problems were different. I represented Cambodia to show other fellows and program facilitators about my country and my culture, and discussed common solutions to issues in Cambodia. I learned a lot from other participants about their business ideas, and how it works in their country. 

Another key theme from YSEALI for me is innovation. After participating in an academic course provided, I started focusing on a solution that can help to solve my community issue, and how I can implement that idea when I return back to my county. I brought back a business idea that focuses on providing an online market to Cambodian farmers. Now, I am working on my business plan and have joined a local competition to turn that business idea into reality. While it is a challenge to bring this idea to the Cambodian market as most Cambodian people lack access to technology, I have hope that in the future Cambodian farmers will no longer need to be concerned about having no market to sell their products.

Besides the academic study within the university, the program also provided us with volunteer opportunities. The American perspective of volunteering is valuable as both young and old people work together to help people in the community because they want to use their free time for the benefit of other people. I hope to see more young ASEAN youth participate as volunteers in society too and help each other to address world issues. I believe all of our young ASEAN leaders can help deal with different issues among our countries and the world in the future.

Soy Sreyneth ‘21: YSEALI Spring 2023, Civic Engagement University of Nebraska at Omaha

In April 2023, I was selected to participate in the YSEALI Academic Fellowship on Civic Engagement and I spent my five weeks studying in-depth about Civic Engagement while immersing myself in U.S. culture.

Throughout my YSEALI experience, I made each day count from trying new flavors and experiencing various foods from different countries to cooking and presenting my Cambodian culture to other fellows. One of the most memorable parts of the program was being able to visit multiple states and cities including Nebraska, South Dakota, New York, and Washington DC and bonding with all the participants and the program team members.

Besides that, the program also offered us the opportunity to share and learn from other youth leaders from other countries in the U.S., ASEAN, and Timor-Leste concerning various social issues including education, environment, women's rights, youth empowerment, LGBTQI+, etc. Living in the ASEAN community, we have shared similar issues and the same commitment as youth to contribute through civic engagement initiatives. We also learned how we, as a group or as individuals working for either NGOs or in the private sector can contribute to being a part of the solution to the issue.

For me, I had applied for the YSEALI  program to not only learn more about Civic Engagement but also how I, as an individual, can make a positive impact on society. I wanted to share and learn from other participants about educational challenges and opportunities for women.

Growing up in the countryside, I had been one of the few girls coming out of my small village to pursue higher education in the city, while many of us dropped out of school to work in rubber factories at a young age. Luckily, I was raised by supportive parents who understood the value of education so that I could finish high school with a high grade. However, I lacked access to information about various scholarships and support available for students going to university back then. This was a problem not unique to me - due to various barriers, female high school students in the countryside lack access to the resources and information needed to attend college. 

Informed by my years at Harpswell and this YSEALI experience, I wish to initiate a mentorship program for those female students, like me, who need assistance navigating the transition from high school to college. The project could start from one high school in a rural  area in Cambodia as a best practice approach and possibly continue by reaching out to other high schools to maximize the impacts. As Shawn Hitchcock once said: “A mentor empowers a person to see a possible future and believe it can be obtained.”