Reflection on My Experience through the U.S Governement's Scholarship UGRAD 2013-2014

 

Attached is the Facebook's post by the U.S Embassy Phnom Penh, Cambodia. 

 

 

Post by U.S. Embassy Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Top 10 Group Photos that Make You Don't Wanna Go Back, UGRADers

 

Here are top 10 group photos taken during the Re-Entry Workshop organized by the U.S Department of States and World Learning in Washington, DC (March 26th~March 29th, 2014).

 

Night Tour in Washington, DC on 26th March 2014

 

Hanging Out on the Last Night of Re-Entry Workshop in Washington, DC. (28th March, 2014)  

ASEAN Photo on Cultural Night (28th March, 2014, at World Learning, Washington, DC)

Group Photo after Cultural Performance and Saying Good Bye to World Learning Staffs (28th March, 2014)

 

 

Group Photo an Front of President Abraham Lincoln Statue

Street Photo



Dinner Reception at World Learning

Leadership training at World Learning



Good Bye Night in Front of the White House



We are UGRADers, Big World is not that Big

What is UGRAD?

     Sponsored by the U.S Department of State and World Learning Organization, UGRAD is a short-term exchange scholarship program which provides a unique opportunity for undergraduates from all around the world to study in universities throughout America for one semester or one year. Its full name is "Global Undergraduate Exchange Program". The vision of this program is to promote international collaboration amongst youths worldwide who are prospective leaders in their countries, to enable them to gain new knowledge and skills so that they can apply those upon returning to their home countries, and to better understand the U.S society and value through participation in various events during their exposure in the program.  Below are UGRAD nominees from 17 countries in Central America and East Asia. They will share their experiences gained while studying in the U.S, perspectives on the world (how theirs have changed since they come to the U.S), and reasons why they decided to participate in this program. [The order will be arranged alphabetically according to the initial letter of their country.]

     "The sole reason I like going on an exchange program abroad is because I am sure I can change myself for a better me. Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (UGRAD 2014) has provided me with priceless array of experience that could not be obtained somewhere else. I would like to say AWESOME UGRAD"~ Sovannara Uk, UGRAD grantee from Cambodia

     "I used to dream of flying to the US one week before I got selected in the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program. That dream came true to me, actually. I am finally here in Utica College, NY, USA. I am fortunate to experience such great educational system in a giant country about which I have ever dreamed. I cannot find any words to describe my feeling at the moment. I am grateful to my colleagues, friends and family back there in my home country, Cambodia, who are always by my side, encourage and inspire me to come to this far out of my comfort zone. This is a big accomplishment in life. Still should I keep making my dreams come true and never stop growing."~ Meas Chansatya, UGRADer from Cambodia

     "I’m so blessed to be a UGRADer, be a member of this lovely international family! Because of World Learning, I got the precious chance to come and study in the States, which allows me a broader perspective to see the world and give me chances to make international friends, to learn amazing stories behind them. In this workshop, I was inspired by all UGRADers’ passion and care for their countries, for the world. I saw all the beautiful hearts and was amazed how we were related to each other and developed friendship in such short 3 days! Since then, we are not alone because we have a big family to support each other! We gonna bring lights and hopes back home and make a difference from where we are!"~Yanyang Dong, UGRAD successful candidate from China

     "I am so grateful I have met so many beautiful people. And I want to let you know that you have another home and a nice friend in China! Please remember our great mission: the constructor and the leader of the earth village in the future ! "~Zhang Yang, UGRADer from China

     "The UGRAD experience is a great opportunity for self-discovery and development of elements that will contribute to our search for an integral growth as citizens of our countries and professionals. This experience besides being a blessing, it has been a challenge that demands our utmost dedication. There is no way to describe UGRAD in one single word. It is a component involving academic, socio-cultural, and personal aspects, as well as challenges and opportunities for success. UGRAD is a door opened to our personal growth and professional success. UGRAD is at the same time my new family."~Fabricio Chavarria, UGRAD winner from El Salvador

 

     "I had always wanted to have the experience of studying abroad, meeting new people, and speaking a foreign language. However, I was afraid of leaving home; being apart from my family, friends, language and everything I knew kept me away from my dream. Till one day I firmly decided that this situation was not going to become an obstacle in my life and I applied for the opportunity World Learning was providing me. At that time I did not know that I became part of a worldwide Upgraders’ family. Now I can say that I do not regret having taken a step forward. Thanks to this experience I have learned cultures, people, ways of thinking, new environments, professors, and historic places of the United States. For that reason I encourage all of you to take that step forward, pushing fears out of your life in order to reach your goals. That is what the World Learning experience has taught me."~Ana del Pilar Moscoso Cañellas, UGRAD successful candidate from Guatemala

"My Life Changes! That's how I can describe my journey as ambassador in UGRAD World Learning. I learnt a lot and grew up during those months. I am glad to be part of this family from all around the world."~Rhandy Pierre Louis, UGRAD grantee from Haiti 

     "Being a UGRAD student has been one of the best experiences of my life. Since I came to the United States, I’ve had the opportunity to make new friends, travel to many different places, improve my English, and share my culture with other American and international students. I feel that have grown professionally and personally in many aspects of my life such as developing a stronger sense of mutual understanding, cooperative work, community service, and leadership. I’m very excited to apply the new knowledge that I have acquired during my exchange program in positive ways so that I can contribute to the betterment of our global village."~Emilio Sanchez, UGRAD nominee from Honduras

     "Hello, potential UGRAD grantees from all over the world! Instead of saying “I did it.”, I’d love to say that ‘we did it!”. My presence in the land of dreams – USA – would never come into reality if it wasn’t because of the endless supports and prayers of my family, my friends, and everyone who came to awareness that this journey was important. There are some little advices I could give to you, all of the potential grantees of UGRAD in the future, that confidence and patience during selection process are super essential attitudes to the success of your scholarship. Write your application forms attentively and honestly, explore your thoughts towards current situation and happenings, and be sure to have plans of ways to help develop your country upon the scholarship completion (no need to be massive ones). I may not be able to guarantee you a success if you do my steps but at least it is worth trying, right? Good luck for you all and always be a positive influence for people around us!"~Dery Rovino Anwar, UGRAD grantee from Indonesia  

     "Global UGRAD is not only about exploring US culture but also cultures of others. Through this experience, I have learnt so much from people whom I met, places that I had visited and most importantly the adventures that I went on. You will realized that the world isn’t such a big place afterall and there is always so much more that you can achieve, accomplish and discover. Definitely one of the best experience of my life."~ Jacqueline Choo, UGRADer from Malaysia

     ''When I was child, I was a crazy reader of stories. I dreamt of visiting a different world where I could see people who live differently and think differently. Finding a meaning of life always fascinated me and I wandered and waited to know what life means. It is said that when you travel, you start knowing yourself. Eight Thousand miles away from home, I found who I am. I found that I can be happy even at odd times and worries are nothing in front of smile. I grew, I knew, I learned, I am learning. That’s what explains my ‘Global Under Graduate Exchange Semester’ experience. Malik Khalil, a Global UGrad participant from Pakistan who can either be found sleeping or eating at odd times."~ Khalil Ullah, UGRAD winner from Pakistan

     "Being a UGRADer and representing Panama for the first time in the University of Southern Indiana is one of the most amazing experience in my life. I started the process to get this scholarship enthusiastically and I was always positive. Those were best tools to be in he place where I am now. I  have so many friends all over the world, and we all are a huge family. This experience has changed my life in a positive way, Thanks to each person who helps me during my time in USA. World learning staffs, you have a special part in my heart."~ Deysi Lopez, UGRAD grantee from Panama

     "What is it needed to be a UGRADer? Walt Disney once said “if you can dream it, you can do it.” Everything starts with a dream. All of us, as part of the Global Undergraduate exchange program, started with a single goal: to be selected to study a year or semester in the United States. We never imagined all the challenges we would face, nor did we think about all the good experiences we would gain. After several months of hard work and perseverance, we see the world in a different and more significant way. We have demonstrated ourselves that we are entailed with the necessary tools we need to succeed. Now, we are about to leave to our home countries, but we have learned that there is nothing impossible and that we are able to proudly wave our flags wherever we go. New generations of UGRAD fellows are coming, and all I can say to those who wants to be part of it is that the first step is to start dreaming. That’s how we all began, and those dreams led us to be where we are. Dreams+Goals+Passion= Global UGRAD Exchange program; this is the perfect formula to become a UGRADer."~ Jorge Pitti, UGRAD grantee from Panama

WOW

     These experiences are inspiring, aren't they? Well, without their contribution, together with a golden opportunity offered by the U.S Department of State and World Learning, there will be no such inspiring story.  Every year, this scholarship program recruits hundreds of potential students [undergraduate level] worldwide to study in the U.S and bring back to their countries with them priceless experiences. An old saying goes: "TODAY YOUTH IS TOMORROW LEADER."

Cheery Blossom in Washington, DC, A Spring Sprung, 2014

 

       When hearing the phrase "Spring is coming", what do you think of? Flower, don't you?  Yeah! Spring is a time when flowers start to show off their undeniable beauty. Amongst all flowers on planet earth, Cheery Blossom, named Sakura in Japan, is one of the most favorite flowers of mine.  

 

       These wonderful photos of Cherry Blossom were taken on a drizzling morning of late March 2014 in Washington, DC, a huge and hectic city in the United State. Not many cherry trees bloomed at that time due to the fact that the weather was still so cold outside. Despite the fact that spring should be the time when flowers bloom and weather is nice, the occurrence of snowstorm still happened, and thus only some cherry trees were covered by their flowers.

      

       Most parts of Washington, DC still is bared. Cheery hadn't bloomed yet; however, I was lucky enough to have seen it along the way to visit Holocaust and Aerospace museums.   

      

       It was my first time to see it through my bared eyes. It was really awesome. It was much more beautiful than what has been screen on TV, published in magazines, or posted on Facebook.

       We, ambassadors from six different countries around the world of the seventeen countries who participated in the re-entry workshop organized by World Learning and the U. S Department of States, we roaming the city of Washington, DC during the last day of our day there.

Dunk City, the Ciy of Sunset

After a long tiring day, the sun is preparing for a nice night sleep. However, before going, he has left a glamorous beauty to beautify his surrounding, and this beauty power has made me fall in love, deep in love in the scenery, incomparable. With my newly bought canon-brand camera, albeit not a professional one, I am really fortunate to be able to capture the beauty of the sunset on the Dunk city, a so-called a City of Sunshine, which I call a city of Sunset, owing to the fact that the sunset over the Dunk city is much more beautiful than that of the sunshine.






Taken at 6p.m. at South Village, Fort Myers, Florida (Dunk City)

 

 




I would call this a Golden Sun




 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction to student (My First Written Assignment in US class)

Born into a modest-background family in a small rural village in the northern part of Cambodia, I was as simple as other country boys in the village, not going to school and having no chance to enjoy a civilized lifestyle. However, at the age of 5, my father, who originally came from a neighboring province and who was a high school teacher of Math and Physics, took my mom and me to live in his hometown. We moved there in 1996. Arriving at the new place, I had a chance to go to school, and that was the starting point of my life, a life which provides me with education.

My father, as he is passionate about learning, pursued his study as an English teacher trainee in the town center as soon as we moved in to his hometown. He had to move away from us for three years. He came to see us only once a week during the weekend. My mother owned a small clothe shop, and she played a role as a breadwinner while my father was in the pursuit of his study. Every day, after class, I had to help my mother at the shop; I guarded the shop so that my mom could go do the household chores. In 1999, my father completed his study and moved back to live with us, and that moment was the time when I started to learn English. My younger brother Dararath, 4 years of age at that time, also started to learn English with me. However, as he was too young, my father decided that my younger brother should wait until he was old enough to study English, so I was the only boy who could speak English in the village. Nowadays, he, my younger brother, goes to two universities simultaneously as I do, majoring in engineering and education. In 2003, my youngest brother, Sophearith, was born. He is currently a primary school student. He is smart and keen on learning new things. He is good at math, literature and painting. He wants to be architecture when growing up.

I received my Bachelor degree in the field of education (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) from the Institute of Foreign Languages of the Royal University of Phnom Penh in October 2013. And I am also a fifth year student majoring in Rural Engineering at the Institute of Technology of Cambodia (ITC). Rural engineering consists of water resource, infrastructure and environmental fields of study. My passion to pursue this major dates back to ten years ago when I lived in the countryside.

In Cambodia, a large number of people in rural areas are farmers.  They depend heavily on farming. They plant rice and grow crops for survival, but the products they produced are not enough for them to support their living.  The problem is that there is a lack of irrigation systems that could enable them to use water for planting their crops, roads they could transport their products to markets, and most importantly knowledge of how to use the water resource they have effectively.  In the rainy season, there is an excessive amount of water, so they are not able to work on their farms whereas in the dry season there is not enough water for planting rice and growing crops. Seeing the potential in this area, along with my talent and keenness in learning scientific subjects, I have developed my interest in helping my country by trying to study hard and enrolling as a rural engineer at the Institute of Technology of Cambodia.

During my undergraduate at ITC, I have learnt many subjects related to engineering, and the branch of engineering that most captivates my interest is hydraulic structure and environmental engineering. As mentioned earlier, I was born in a rural village; therefore I have a lot of chances to witness how those peasants live by just relying on the nature. If lucky, there is enough rain for them to do farming. However, they cannot depend on nature because it keeps changing all the time, and hence the best way to help those people dealing with this issue, human resource in this field is needed, and this is the reason why I pursue my study in this subject.

            Besides studying in class, I have been to Japan twice. I have been awarded two scholarships to go on exchange programs. The first time I was awarded was in summer (August) 2012. ITC sent me to participate in an event called The World Youth Meeting 2012, which was celebrated at Nihon Fukushi University, Aichi, Japan. There were many students of different cultural backgrounds participating in that event. I have learnt many things during my exposure in that events, five of which I think are of most importance are (1) cultural exchange, (2) conflict resolution, (3) collaboration, (4) confidence, and last but not least (5) friendship. Four months later, in winter, I was granted another scholarship to go on a study tour in Japan again to learn about natural disaster prevention and reconstruction after the Japan Great East Earthquake and Tsunami. And now, I am fortunate enough to be awarded a scholarship sponsored by the U.S Department of State to study Environmental engineering as a one-semester exchange student at Florida Gulf Coast University, where many professors specialized in the field of engineering gather. I hope that my stay in the U.S will enable me to grow wiser, either academically or personally. 

            Since I am the fifth year student, I will graduate soon, around July this year. As the graduation day approaches, I am considering applying for a Master’s degree in the related fields of study, either civil engineering (hydraulic structure or civil) or water resource engineering or environmental engineering. My dream is not just completing a Master’s degree but also a Ph.D one, if I am provided a chance. I have visualized that if I pursue a career as a teacher at university level and working as a researcher at the same time, I will be able to make a valuable contribution to my country, for Cambodia is in a dire need of human resource in this field.

            During my spare time, I like playing sports such as soccer, volleyball, and swimming. I could swim since I was at the age of eight. My father was my instructor, a very good instructor. It was awesome to have two rivers in the neighborhood so that I could swim almost every single day, if not all. As I remember, during my first swimming lesson, my stomach was filled with water and air. Yep, I know everyone experiences it when they first learn how to swim. For soccer, I learned how to play it since I was in grade five (10 or 11 years of age), yet I am still not a good player. And at the age of 18, I started to play volleyball. In addition to sport, I like writing stories in English and taking photos to post them in my blog; the website is www.uksovannara.blogspot.com .

            Finally, I am really excited to take courses at Florida Gulf Coast University, and I am really glad to have enrolled in one of your classes. Challenges accepted!!!

Tokyo Skytree (東京スカイツリー)

      Located in Tokyo, Tokyo Skytree is the tallest tower in the world. Its height is 634 m. This tower performs multifunction; it serves both as a broadcasting and a restaurant as well as an observation tower in Tokyo. As I have known, the height of the tower is chosen as 634 m so as to make it easy to remember. The region where the tower stands were once called Musashi, an old name of the region;  6 stands for mu, 3 for sha, and 4 for si .

Tokyo Skytree, taken at night, which is illuminated in BLUE

     The tower is painted bluish white, a traditional Japanese colour (aijiro 藍白). At night the tower is illuminated in two colours, one of which is blue and the other one is purple. The two colours patterns are used alternatively daily. The colour blue represents elegantly and stylishly fashionable and the colour purple represents elegance and refinement.

Tokyo Night View from Tokyo Skytree Tower

Night View of Tokyo Skytree illuminated in Purple

Tokyo Night View from Tokyo Skytree Tower

At the Entrance of Tokyo Skytree

Another Step of Life (Graduation Ceremony)

      A four-year journey has come to an end. I need to get off a bus to catch a plane in order to continue my journey to the horizon. And I have also given an air ticket, which is a Bachelor Degree (A piece of paper which is not just a paper).

26-October-2013, Cambodia Korea Cooperation Center (CKCC), Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP)

October 26, 2013 is the day of IFL students, batch 21, were awarded a Bachelor degree [Bachelor of Education (Teaching English as a Foreign Language)] by the Institute of Foreign Languages (IFL), Royal University of Phnom Penh.

My family

Mr. Pom Bophan (left), Mr. Viraksereyvathana (middle), & Mr. Yav Dara (right)

Miss. Tann Boravin

Mr. Pech Sambath (left) & Miss. Chour Chantheary (right)

Mr. Vuthy Panchakrong

Miss. Hang Sochetra



Mr. Makara Sokunthearith

Mr. Lim Chanphirun

Mr. Pom Bophan, Mr. Sun Henglong, Me, Mr. Virak Sereyvathana, & Mr. Yav Dara (From left to right)

Miss. Preung Sokunousaphea, Mr. Vuthy Panchakrong, Me, and Miss. Hang Sochetra