My TASSEL journey began eight years ago as a naive 9th grader at Singapore American School (SAS), initially driven by the desire to enhance my college application with a service experience. What began as a checkbox quickly evolved into a profound, life-changing commitment. After a year of virtual teaching, I participated in the 2017 summer trip to Cambodia. Having visited India countless times, I thought I was accustomed to seeing desolation and poverty, so I didn’t anticipate how deeply this trip would affect me.

 

But I was wrong.

 

Before stepping into the classroom to teach our students, we visited six families whose lives were marked by unimaginable hardship. One student’s grandfather, for instance, shared his harrowing experiences during the Cambodian genocide under the Khmer Rouge. A monk in the 1970s, he was kidnapped by the regime and narrowly escaped death after jumping off a truck bound for the killing fields. Later recaptured, he was tortured and left strung up naked on a pole, presumed to die. Although eventually rescued, the emotional scars remain vivid, his memories as fresh and painful as the day they occurred. Watching his eyes swell with tears as he recounted his story was profoundly humbling.

 

This encounter, among others, opened my eyes to the systemic inequities in the region. The effects of the Khmer Rouge regime persist—Pol Pot’s tyrannical rule sought to annihilate anyone who could threaten his vision of a new empire. Institutions were obliterated; the University of Phnom Penh estimates that over 90% of Cambodia’s academics were killed during this dark period. The work of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Economics winners, Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, and James A. Robinson, underscores how the destruction of institutions cripples prosperity for generations. Their research demonstrates that extractive institutions—such as those implemented during European colonization—lead to persistent inequality. The Khmer Rouge regime, however, was uniquely destructive, occurring less than 50 years ago and causing one of the greatest institutional collapses in history.

 

This proves that Cambodians need help now more than ever.

 

Healthcare remains inaccessible or of poor quality, education is still a privilege for the elite, and even basic necessities are out of reach for many. TASSEL addresses these critical issues sustainably—providing life-changing education by teaching English, constructing schools, and delivering essential medical care.

 

As President of the SAS TASSEL Chapter in my senior year, I felt an immense sense of purpose and responsibility. Our team’s efforts culminated in a successful fundraiser that raised enough money to build a new school in the rural village of Samlot. Witnessing the tangible impact of our work was deeply fulfilling, solidifying my belief that meaningful change is possible when people come together with compassion and resolve. Furthermore, the resilience of the local volunteers, students, and families was profoundly inspiring—a true testament to the indomitable human spirit. Working alongside TASSEL’s Cambodian teachers, volunteers, and students has been the privilege of a lifetime.

 

It has now been eight years since I first joined TASSEL, and my passion for this organization and the people it serves has only grown stronger. After graduating from the University of Chicago, my aspirations of becoming a physician are driven by the same ethos that TASSEL embodies—making an indelible, not ephemeral, impact on communities. 

 

TASSEL has shown me that when we dedicate ourselves to sustainable, community-driven change, we don’t just help, we transform. To those considering joining, I wholeheartedly encourage you to take that step. Through TASSEL, you can leave an inextinguishable mark on the world—not just today, but for generations to come.