My name is Risako Tai, and I have been a part of TASSEL since 8th grade! I am now an officer at my chapter and working hard with many other dedicated members to ensure that we can provide quality English teaching the students at TASSEL need, and deserve, as well as provide resources for all the villagers. I originally started TASSEL in 8th grade, because my friend's older sister introduced it to me but little did I know the tremendous work that TASSEL does and the people it serves every day with so much love. Little did I know the great impact it would have on me in learning the true meaning of service. 

 

This summer, I got to visit Cambodia in the annual Service Trip and it has completely changed my view of the students that I teach and the work that TASSEL does for the rural Cambodians. I felt that I got to understand the current situations of our students; the repeating effects of the Khmer Rouge, which may feel distant from our perspective, but still play a crucial role in the lives of Cambodians, from the trauma and violence passed down from grandparents to our current students, and the struggles that they face daily. Not only does TASSEL serve the students, but TASSEL truly does astounding work for all of the villagers, from the student's families to the elderly. From the frequent home visits by TASSEL's extraordinary teachers, distributing resources such as food and medicine to villagers, and the Senior Center program that focuses on creating an enjoyable space for the elderly, they do so much more than just teaching English to students. 

 

In addition to providing physical resources and tangible services, they provide love and care. On my summer trip to Cambodia, this is what I felt the most in the TASSEL community- love. Since stepping foot in Cambodia, where the Khmer teachers greeted us with so much hospitality, to the students welcoming us to their school and throughout teaching them, the whole TASSEL community has spread and continues to spread love. Despite the students' and villagers' difficult lives that we cannot begin to fathom or relate to, they continue to work hard and spread joy to those around them.

 

Another memorable aspect of the summer trip was the TASSEL teachers. They are some of the most incredible people that I have ever met. Throughout the trip, they truly worked tirelessly around the clock, supporting us and making sure that we felt comfortable and safe, going to visit families to check up on them, and teaching the students with so much warmth and enthusiasm all while completing office duties as a member of TASSEL. They are the true people who are the heart of TASSEL, providing a bridge between foreign volunteers and students, caring for the village elderly, and carrying out what TASSEL embodies and aims to do. I  have immense respect for them and am always inspired by their tireless dedication and commitment to TASSEL, as well as their characters as a whole. 

 

I am also always amazed and inspired by the students and their hard work toward learning English. During the teaching season, the students are without fail, energetic, passionate, and determined to study hard. After going on the summer trip and listening to their stories and situations that immensely hinder their learning, I learned how incredibly hard they have to work just to attend class at TASSEL. Many of the children have unstable families and often are the ones who are going to look for food, fetch water, and take care of their younger siblings. I learned that sometimes, students faint in class due to hunger and are often sick because they are malnourished and have weaker immune systems. However, they continue to persist and the TASSEL class is one of the happiest moments of their day. Learning this, I realized the immense responsibility that the volunteers have. For the students, the online lessons during the teaching season aren't one of many mundane classes they have to take, it is a privilege for them to be able to come in, and they are wholeheartedly determined to study English to open more doors for opportunities. Through my role as an officer, I hope to spread the importance of foreign volunteers and the responsibility we have in providing quality education for students.

 

Taking my valuable and life-changing experience from this summer, I am dedicated to continuing to serve TASSEL and urge everyone to contribute in ways that they can. I am so so incredibly grateful to be part of this phenomenal community and wholeheartedly believe that one step at a time, we can create better lives for the rural Cambodians.