How I got here
Let’s do a little back tracking for awhile.
I’ve been writing in my journal about Cambodia and the trip for awhile now and I’ve decided that I should post my journal entries and then continue posting my thoughts and lessons learned. So to start off:
November 13, 2010:
I should have started journaling awhile back. Where do I even begin? It was two years ago that I cam to WT on a leap of faith searching for broadcasting schools. My freshmen year I read What is the What and spent all Summer writing my essay for the readership program trip to Africa. When I spent all Summer long…I really mean ALL SUMMER - I had my high school English teachers review it. I didn’t even get an interview to win the contest.
Later that year I applied to be a Peer Leader and help incoming high school students transition into the college life. I didn’t get that either. And truth be told, I shouldn’t have. I hadn’t matured enough yet. I was still in this “party” and “let’s go crazy” mentality.
My next year in college, changed me for the better. After several mistakes, as we all have made before, I began to grow up a little. I started caring more for my friends and they started to help me grow. My best friend Pepper, who went on the Africa trip (and whose birthday is today) helped me grow the most. I’ve learned what love is and what it isn’t. I’ve learned about myself, and I know I want to continue to change for the better. No longer be viewed as the “party goer.” I’m becoming an adult.
Anyway, back to the story, this past year I re-applied to be a Peer Leader and I got it! This Summer as a Peer Leader has been the best! Now as a part of the readership program, one Peer Leader is supposed to go with the freshmen students on the trip that year. This year’s book is The Road of Lost Innocence by Somaly Mam. After reading the book and writing an essay, it came down to Paprika and I for the spot and an all expense paid trip to Cambodia! Well, I wouldn’t be writing in this journal if I hadn’t been chosen (Paprika and I are both going!). I am so excited! With 14 other freshmen, Paprika and I will travel to Cambodia (with 2 advisors of course) and spend some days working with Somaly Mam in her shelters! I’m not entirely sure of what all we will be doing but I know after a 14 hour plane right and a layover in Hong Kong, I’ll be halfway around the world this Spring Break for the experience of a lifetime. Paprika and I will be working to engange the freshmen students on the trip and before.
Oh and as a part of my Senior Project, I’ll be bring a camera and will be shooting some sort of a mini documentary or video essay! This will look so good on my resume. So, I started this journal to keep track of my thoughts or ideas that I have before, while there, and after Cambodia. My only fear: not being able to experience every thing in full. I’m afraid I’ll become lost behind the camera or lost as a Peer Leader. So I’m listing goals that I want to accomplish on this trip:
- Engage freshmen students
- Shoot a “documentary”
- Self discovery and who I am
- Have fun and experience Cambodia
So for now that’s all. We should be getting together as a group sometime soon and getting passports. I’m so excited! Words cannot express this. Also, at freshmen convocation, where freshmen students envision graduation, the essay contest winners were announced and Somaly Mam was there and we met her! So exciting and she is such an inspiration.
*all names are changed for privacy
