Alumni 2003
Arranged Alphabetically

4/11/05
Saroeun Earm
Class of 2003

After graduation I went to Washington, D.C. to intern at the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC). I conducted a survey and compiled data to find social/cultural barriers that Southeast Asian American elders encounter to receiving social services in the state of California. The findings of the research were published and can be found on their website. I was honored to be one of the co-authors of the article. I came back to MN and became an AmeriCorps VISTA. I was a congregational organizer for the Saint Paul Area Council of Churches developing an employment ministry, coordinated refugee baskets for Hmong refugees and worked on affordable housing. When my service was over I took a temp position at Metropolitan State University as a receptionist at the College of Professional Studies. On the side, I'm a Khmer/English interpreter for the St. Paul Public Schools.

I will leave for Cambodia for the summer with Global Youth Connect (www.globalyouthconnect.org a human rights organization) to volunteer for 8 weeks. I was selected to intern with one of the leading human rights NGO in Cambodia called the Documentation Center of Cambodia ( www.dccam.org. ) I will work on their Victims of Torture Project.  I'll help documenting stories from the victims of the genocide and ex-Khmer Rouge solders and assess proper treatment for them that meets their needs. This is a vital time to be in Cambodia because the Khmer Rouge Genocide Tribunal will finally begin 30 years after the fall of Democratic Kampuchea. I'm excited for these opportunities! I was admitted to Johns Hopkins University School of Advance International Studies in Washington, D.C. for graduate school. I will be there for two years to get my masters in international relations with a concentration in Southeast Asia. This is truly a blessing!  I hope all is well on the Hill!

 

 


12/28/04
Ellie Engman
Class of 2003

After graduation I worked at the Nonprofit Resource Center at the Allen County Public Library (helping nonprofit professionals and individuals who are interested in fundraising and development). Then I spent 5 months interning with CNFA, an international development organization in Washington, D.C. CNFA works primarily in the NIS region (I learned quite a bit about Moldova!). I was excited to work with CNFA because they are also beginning to expand into Afghanistan and possibly Iraq. My internship ended in May and I decided to spend the rest of the year volunteering for VIDYA, an organization in New Delhi, India. I decided to contact VIDYA on my own and arrange my volunteer experience (with the help of their volunteer coordinator). VIDYA began as a school for children living in the worst parts of Delhi and has grown to address many areas-- education for women and children, micro-enterprise, health, and confidence/self-esteem issues. So I've spent the last half of the year volunteering for VIDYA (teaching English and helping in their fundraising department with prospective donor research and organization). I had to come home for a few months, but now I'm set to return to India in Jan. 2004. I'll continue my work with VIDYA and enjoy spending time with my fiancé while I'm there. It's hard to summarize the past 2 years because I have jumped around and tried to explore as many things as possible. Things started out a bit slow after graduation, but I'm really happy with how everything has come together. :)
E-mail: eengman2004@hotmail.com