Sovanpiseth Song
Born: Battambang Province
School: Senior majoring in business administration at the American University of Phnom Penh
Intern Position: USAID/Cambodia Office of Financial Management intern
Despite having past experience interning at the Ministry of Commerce, Piseth decided to apply for an internship with USAID to equip himself for his most important goal: pursuing a master's degree in the United States.
Piseth is interested in studying business analysis in the United States as he wants to have first-hand experience in this field which is why he is interning at the Office of Financial Management with USAID/Cambodia to build his skill and portfolio.
Asked what he would advise to youth interested in working with USAID, Piseth said they should not hesitate and grab every opportunity to reach their goals.
Do it first, and if you fail then you can learn how to succeed the next time you try,” he says. “Just go for it and be confident in yourself. To try and fail is better than not trying at all.”
For Piseth, one of the best things about working here is the work environment where he felt welcomed and at ease.
This is a very good environment for working and the team spirit is very strong and people are very friendly and close with each other. Since I first came here, I have never felt left out,” Piseth says.
Piseth has been very familiar with USAID since he was a child, mainly because of his dad who used to work for a USAID-supported non-government organization.
Lina Ronie
Born: Phnom Penh
School: Junior majoring in International Relations at Paragon International University
Intern Position: HR assistant intern with USAID/Cambodia’s Executive Office
Starting a new internship at USAID/Cambodia was, at first, a challenge for Lina.
I had to learn how to adapt to the work culture and work environment,” she says. “Like a task that I was given was not specifically instructed or taught in university so I had to experience and do it myself and sometimes make mistakes in order to learn from it,” she says.
Lina says that she has seen significant growth since she began to participate in volunteering activities and interning here.
“Although it is challenging, I feel productive and proud of myself,” she says.
Her advice for youth is to get out there, try new things, and believe in themselves.
“From one youth to another, I think they should give themselves a push and believe that they can do it and try to get out of their comfort zone,” she says.
Lina likes working with USAID and being a part of an agency that directly helps make a difference in Cambodia.
I think that USAID is one of the places that I can improve myself since it is a place where local Cambodians and Americans can work together to create a cross-cultural understanding and help each other achieve the main goal,” she says.
Since her first day on the job, Lina has felt very welcomed by the HR team and all employees working here.
“Some of them always ask me how I’m doing whenever they see me, which I think is very impactful for me since I am only an intern and they have worked here for years. They are very welcoming and supportive,” Lina says.
Leangkruy Try
Born: Phnom Penh
School: Junior majoring in business administration at the American University of Phnom Penh
Intern Position: Administrative intern with USAID/Cambodia’s Executive Office
Leangkruy says he applied for the intern position at USAID so that he can learn a lot and gain valuable experience in the administration office, including learning how to help others with their travel.
“I didn’t know what USAID was before applying here. But I did some research and I learned that USAID has been supporting our Cambodian society, communities, economics, education and health, and environment sectors,” he says.
Leangkruy says he has had a good time at USAID/Cambodia interacting with the employees and gaining a better understanding of Americans.
My first impression was that the people here are nice, humble, cheerful, and kind to the interns,” he says. “I get to understand the American system and the structure of how they work, which I think is the greatest opportunity I’ve had so far.”
Leangkruy learned about USAID’s commitment to the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) policy, which ensures that every employee is protected from unlawful discrimination and harassment and all are given equal opportunities.
One of his life goals is to help those in need gain better access to education and healthcare in Cambodia.
As a business student, I want to invest in education and healthcare in order to increase human resources that will contribute further to Cambodia’s workforce,’’ he says.
Sreynea Sun
Born: Kratie Pprovince
School: Sophomore majoring in media management at the Royal University of Phnom Penh.
Intern Position: USAID/Cambodia Development Outreach and Communications intern
After working for three weeks, Sreynea has been able to gain new knowledge as well as leading a project for the intern profile stories.
One of the most exciting tasks I have achieved is working on the USAID/Cambodia intern profile, and with the help from my team, I had the chance to challenge myself and learn to build my capability,” she says.
“This project also taught me about the importance of asking for help and being patient when I want to accomplish a goal,” she says.
Sreynea decided to apply for this internship with USAID as she wants to expand her experience in the communication field and for personal growth.
Sreynea says that she has seen USAID logos everywhere, but did not have the chance to understand what USAID represents.
Now that I am here, I get to see a better view of the impacts USAID had, especially on the education sector across the schools in Cambodia,” she says.
Sreynea says she has had a great time working with the employees at USAID/Cambodia.
“I enjoy coming to work here as I had the opportunity to meet many great people who are down-to-earth, caring, kind, and talented,” she says.
Sreynea expressed that one of her goals is to help youth feel more prepared for university so that they will be able to help themselves and their community in the future.
To me, being able to pursue higher education is a privilege since I am not just learning what is taught in school, but I also learn about commitment, discipline, and how to navigate through new changes as a young adult,” she said.
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Article Author: Sreynea Sun, USAID/Cambodia
USAID/Cambodia/Youra Soeum