On Graduating

Today is Boston University's graduate school commencement ceremony. My commencement ceremony. Technically, I graduated in January but they only dress us up in robes and dole out those $60,000 pieces of paper once a year. So one week after my twenty-fifth birthday, I should be sitting in an auditorium, clad in traditional academic regalia among friends and classmates. I should be beaming with pride as they call my name and I walk across that stage, waving at my parents. And tonight I should be celebrating our hard work, our accomplishments, and our new title: Masters.

BU 2013 Commencement Ceremony

Instead my Saturday consisted of catching up on my favorite television show, reading in bed, having a solo dinner at my regular spot and playing music trivia at one of the guesthouses. (In all fairness, the trivia was in support of a local NGO.) I'd be lying if I said I wasn't bummed about missing my own graduation. Who doesn't like an excuse to celebrate? I worked harder in grad school than ever before and would have relished the moment. But I've been pretty far removed from Boston this past year. From the Philippines back to California and now Cambodia, it has hardly been a student's life.

In the past two months, I've put said Master of Public Health degree to use, ceremony or not. My role at Cambodian Child's Dream Organization (CCDO) is as the Women's Health and Education Center Manager. But in actuality, the job requires me to be at the front end of all of our education, health, water well, agricultural and collaboration programs. At least for the time being.

Our health projects are fairly basic: workshops on domestic violence, education on hand washing and toothbrushing, breakfast programs for the students to decrease malnutrition. These are simple solutions to reduce morbidity and mortality. Simple in concept, though decidedly more difficult in practice, especially among children. Working for a small NGO, I have the ability to change programs, suggest improvements and implement entirely new concepts. My inexperience makes me second-guess myself. It takes daily reminders that I have studied and prepared for this sort of work.

We are a grassroots organization, continuously reshaping ourselves as we gain further resources and expertise as well as a greater understanding of the needs of those we cater to. CCDO began by building a few water wells back in 2007. Today we've built nearly 700 wells, with another 100+ donated. Each well costs $250, serving 30-40 people (multiple families) for 8-10 years. But once you arrive at a village, you realize how much more work there is to be done. So we moved into the schools, providing English classes and a breakfast program. We built a playground, more toilets, and tippy taps for hand washing. In the villages we hold health workshops. Now we're collaborating with hotels in town and hope to begin our agricultural project soon. The list grows by the week.

Our projects bring small changes and they take time to discern a positive impact. Some days you wonder why you're even doing this at all. Those are the days I like to find myself at the primary school, watching the happy-go-lucky children and remembering this is for them. Because they deserve a better life after the war and the genocide, the sickness and the famine, the poverty and the lack of resources Cambodia has seen in the past 50 years. I just graduated with my Master's degree, as did quite a few of my friends this week. Here the kids will be part of the minority if they continue past Grade 6. If that's not enough of a reason, I don't know what is.

Kelly arrives on Tuesday and I'm excited to get to share my life in Cambodia with someone who knows me so well from home. Someone who's seeing the country through fresh eyes. Someone who's never been to a developing country before. Let's hope she's ready!

But returning to the present, congratulations to my fellow BUSPHers - we did it!!! I was there with you all in spirit, as you tossed your caps and proceeded back down the aisle as Masters. Good luck to you, wherever this degree takes you. And if it takes you to Southeast Asia, don't be a stranger.

1st Day of BU School of Public Health, Sept 2011