Alumni Class Secretary Updates
Laos
Viphany Sihalath (11-12) has been working at ANZ Bank in Laos but is moving to new organization called “Bort Long Year” as a Treasury and Ledger Officer. Every Saturday she spends two hours as an English tutor for children in her local community. Soulivanh Rattanavong (11-12) is currently interning in the finance field and taking an IELTS preparation course. Soudachanh Chanthalavanh (11-12) is studying at the Lao-American College (LAC) majoring in Business Administration and has plans to graduate in February 2013. Phouvong Boutsady (11-12) is a senior at the Lao-American College in Vientiane, Laos and is interning at the Environment Quality Promotion Department, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. Athit Chanthalath (11-12) recently started classes at the National University of Laos and Lao-Japan Human Resource Institute and is working part-time for Google Inc. in the Google Translate and Google Localization projects via the Desk for the Lao language. Souphaphone Soudachanh (11-12) restarted classes at University and interned with two organizations for eleven weeks, Electricity Du Laos and Lao-ASIE Consultant Group. Christina Soukdala (11-12) is graduating early next year and has been studying a traditional instrument called “Kim”. In addition, she joined a volunteer group for ASEM – the IX, which will be held in Vientiane, Laos in 2012. Vanida Khouangvichit (11-12) is interning at the Faculty of Social Sciences, National University of Laos and teaching English to Lao kids two days a week at his teacher’s school.
Read more dispatches from Cambodia, Nicaragua, and Malaysia.
Cambodia
Sathabora Mana Kheang (11-12) graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education and is now pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations. Since arriving back in Cambodia, she has been engaged in community service activities with the Fulbright and Undergraduate State Alumni Association of Cambodia (FUSAAC). After returning home, Viseth Sean (11-12) joined the community service project initiated by State Alumni – Cambodia. He recently became a debate trainer for one of the workshops of the “Enhancement Workshop” with Assess Micro-Scholarship Student in Kompong Chhnange Province, Cambodia. After she returned home, Elita Ouk (11-12) interned at BBC Media Action and worked as the online moderator for the “Loy9 Program,” a mass media campaign that aims to encourage youth participation in the community. Elita is responsible for updating their information and writing blogs on websites such as WordPress, Facebook, and YouTube. Also, she was selected as a member of the “Ambassador Youth Council” of the U.S Embassy Cambodia. The council members meet with the Ambassador and the Embassy staff to discuss issues and U.S policies in Cambodia. She is now in her final year at the Department of Media and Communication, Royal University of Phnom Penh.
Three months after completing the Global UGRAD Program, Soukim Lay (11-12) graduated from Royal University of Phnom Penh. She is currently intering in the assurance section of Ernst and Young, one of the largest professional service firms in the world. In addition to her internship, she works with other State Alumni in projects to improve the education level of students in the city and provinces. Early this August, Kanika Keng (11-12) graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree of Education in Teaching English as a Foreign Language. In addition, she volunteers in her local community, specifically organizing education fairs and State Alumni projects. Sokunthearith Makara (11-12) spent 18 days volunteering with two groups of students from England and Taiwan in a remote village in Southwestern Cambodia. He stayed in a health center known as Graphis Health Center, which is the main health care provider in the village. He spent one week teaching students mathematics, art, and basic English while facilitating other classes with foreign volunteers. His second week was spent interviewing members of the local community concerning their clean water issue, educational background, and healthcare. Besides interviewing people, Sokunthearith and other volunteers made a comprehensible map of the village and gave each house a number for the first time and presented it to the village Chief.
Nicaragua
Sania Woods Sinclair (11-12) is teaching English to children in her community part-time and taking online classes. Walter Gomez Segura (11-12) recently started his last quarter as a junior in college and enrolled in a few social involvement volunteer projects. Cristina Massiel Garcia (11-12) is working on her thesis that will be defended in January 2013. She is also participating in community service activities such as TECHO and organizations that promote local development. Grecia Morales (11-12) was awarded a scholarship for the rest of her major in college and is serving her community by working as a Catholic Catechist with five children from a nearby town. She also joined the theater club in her school. Victor Silva (11-12) will begin his senior year this fall and is tutoring freshmen in mathematics.
Malaysia
Christine Cheah (11-12) finished her undergraduate studies and is pursuing her passion as a freelance journalist. During this three-month period she participated in a few leadership programs with the most recent one being the World Islamic Economic Forum Foundation Young Fellows Program. She will soon be embarking on yet another adventure of a lifetime to hike the Everest Base Camp in Nepal this coming October. 
Wilson Beh (11-12) took part in Maybank Go Ahead Challenge 2012, an international business case competition modeled after “The Apprentice” and “Amazing Race,” after he returned to Malaysia from the Global UGRAD Program. He was the leader for winning team which comprised of four different nationalities. Upon completing her studies in the U.S., Nasha Lee (11-12) received a grant from the East West Center to mentor 19 South East Asian university students on a State Department funded environmental program at the University of Hawai’i, where she spent a month on the Island of Oahu. She interned for ten weeks at Environmental Resources Management, a global environmental consultancy, and is now resuming her classes at the University of Malaya. Kimberly Ling (11-12) recently returned to her university to complete her final year and she looks forward to new challenges and making her life a meaningful one. Lee Lian Kong (11-12) is currently finishing the last leg of her degree where she will continue to pursue her third year of law studies in the United Kingdom. Drawing lessons learned from his American Politics and International Relations classes during his time in the U.S., Wei Jiet Lim (11-12) has continued to pursue his passion for politics via debating, moderating socio-political forums, and chairing Model United Nations sessions. During the holidays, he interned for the Honourable Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, a State Assemblyman and also Communications Head for the People’s Justice Party. He was exposed to social media strategy, policy-making and also helped organized Southeast Asia’s very first Google Hangout with politicians (featuring Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia’s Opposition Leader). Currently, he is busy spearheading a movement he co-founded, “The University of Malaya Constitutional & Human Rights Team,” that was designed to spread awareness on the salient features of the Malaysian Federal Constitution and issues on human rights throughout the university campus. Amirul Safuwan (11-12) was selected as a finalist in the Anugerah Hijau (The Green Award), a youth-based competition to find the next green champion in environmental design and planning. He submitted a proposal in the Green Fashion category. His proposal addresses problems revolving around the turtle and its habitat, the coral reefs. Amy Yu (11-12) recently graduated and is now teaching at a private school in Kuala Lumpur.