I am not sure why I decided to keep the decision to accept this Fellowship as quiet as I did. I remember when I first received the fellowship email, my friends at school wanted to make a big deal out of it and I was more than content with that.

After a few days, I started thinking about my life in the US and how it would be different here in Cambodia. There are so many people struggling in the US, and the fact that I decided to leave and help elsewhere was making me a little uncertain. I’ve volunteered, interned and worked for several different organizations in the education field and I am aware of how much change the education system needs to undergo in order to give our children the education and mentoring that they deserve. Leaving to do something that I could be doing in my own community made me uncomfortable but it also helped me realize that I truly do belong in a field that involves people.

It took me a few days to be 100% happy with the decision of accepting this fellowship, but I am sooooooooo beyond happy that I did. I am aware that my help here or elsewhere is very minimal, I am only one person and I can only create so much change. But, I am excited to be trying to create a change in at least one person’s life.

So, what am I doing in Cambodia?

I am a volunteer English teacher six days a week for the next 9 months. I work for The Global Child (TGC), which is an urban school in Siem Reap, Cambodia. I am currently working with three different grades (K5, K7 & K10). We are now in the Summer School term which means we are reviewing and getting ready for the end of the year exam which determines placements for the next school year (next school year= October). The school’s mission is to provide impoverished students with the opportunity of a well-rounded education, safety and a bright future. Students have the opportunity to learn all of the basic subjects, English as their second language and have extra classes such as traditional dance, music and cooking class! Cambodia’s recent history is a sad one. Through schools like The Global Child, younger generations are able to remain safe, experience childhood and bring back aspects of their culture that was lost during the Khmer Rouge.

Along with teaching English classes, I have started a Hip-Hop/Step dance team at TGC which meets two days of the week. Unfortunately, K10 students are not involved because they have started internships but, K5 and K7 LOVE IT! This is the first time that they have been introduced to Step but they are catching on fairly quickly. I am very happy with the results and I am hoping to have them perform for our Opening Day in October!

Most of my time here is spent with the students and staff of TGC. From classes to doing community service, dancing or just relaxation time, I have learned to love all of the students. At least every other day, I notice the students getting more and more comfortable with Dalila and myself which makes me very happy. Although there is a language barrier, we have started to get very close with each other while maintaining professionalism which was one of my goals! So, I’d say we are thriving!

Follow TGC on Instagram!!!!! @the.global.child

WHAT IS THIS?!

If you know me, you know that I am a pretty anxious person. You might also know that I just learned how to ride a bicycle less than a year ago. I will forever be grateful for Romario and Richard (two of my friends at Union) for taking the time to teach me how to ride a bicycle while we stayed in Schenectady for summer courses and different work opportunities. I will never forget that day because as soon as I thought that I had the hang of it, I crashed straight into a big tree near Sorum House that left bruises on me for about two months.

Hearing the previous fellows talk about having to ride a bicycle in order to get from place to place immediately gave me anxiety. It also pushed me to continue practicing so that I would be ready for my experience here in Siem Reap. This past Spring term, I made sure that I took advantage of the free bicycles at Union and rented them for at least three hours a week with the idea in my head that PRACTICE MAKES BETTER.

Let me tell you, practice indeed does make better! Within my first four days in Siem Reap, I was aggressively “tapped” by motorbikes twice and actually full on hit once. These experiences really scared me and gave me constant anxiety. But, I continue to push myself everyday to get to and from work. I realize that singing “Party” by Beyonce allows me to feel invincible and therefore, I sing it to myself whenever I am riding my bicycle, Luna. It truly gives me the upmost confidence.

And thanks to the gods & goddesses, I have not been hit or aggressively tapped since the first week! Like I said, PRACTICE MAKES BETTER!

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog!

For those who do not know me, my name is Yesenia Negron. I graduated from Union College this past June with a B.S in Psychology. I am honored to say that I am a Minerva Fellow, this means that I will be in Siem Reap, Cambodia for nine months!! How crazy is that?

Up until Dalila and I got on our first flight of 16 hours, I could not believe that I was leaving and not coming back for nine months. Leaving my family and loved ones was not hard at first, but then I experienced the time difference and realized how much effort needs to go into having communication with everyone back home.

Today marks day 12 in Cambodia and although this is all new, I feel like I have been here for a long time. Yet, it all seems surreal. What I’ve seen of the country is beautiful!

Everyday, I am reminded as to why I chose to apply to the fellowship. The students and everyone I’ve met, constantly create a smile on my face. The students are polite, sweet, smart and super funny! I love that I am building new and stronger relationships with them everyday.

Stay tuned for my future posts! I am so excited to take you along my journey in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Follow me through my journey at The Global Child in Siem Reap, Cambodia!

“whatever you have conquered, it shines through your mind” Nikki Rowe

— Nikki Rowe.

This is the first post on my new blog. I’m just getting this new blog going, so stay tuned for more. Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates.

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

• Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
• Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

• Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
• What topics do you think you’ll write about?
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• If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.