A Year at EYC: International Volunteers Reflect on Their Experience

In January 2023, EYC partnered with International Impact, a French NGO, to strengthen EYC’s capacity by bringing in specialized technical expertise from international volunteers.

These volunteers commit to a one-year immersive experience at EYC, primarily supporting STEM programming, focusing on robotics and coding. They also aid in reporting, communications, and partnership building to improve EYC’s outreach and impact.

Additionally, volunteers conduct workshops to bolster other EYC programming, including leadership development and English education. This collaboration has been highly successful, benefiting EYC’s programming while offering volunteers progressional growth and cultural insights into Cambodia.

Since its inception, five French volunteers have joined EYC, two in 2023 and three in 2024. Following are excerpts from our 2024 volunteers’ reflections on their experience at EYC.

Thoughts & Reflections

What inspired you to work with EYC?

What inspired me to volunteer with EYC in Cambodia was the innovative approach, blending social development and education, especially in IT. With a background in IT, I was inspired by EYC’s focus on STEM subjects and the opportunity to put my technical skills to work in a socially impactful way. I found the idea of teaching robotics to Cambodian students very exciting. The opportunity to combine my technical skills with a meaningful volunteer mission was exactly what I was looking for. My experience with EYC allowed me to achieve this in the most fulfilling way possible.
– Alexane Roussin, French, 25 years old

What were your expectations before arriving, and how did they compare to your experience? 

Before I arrived, I expected EYC to be primarily focused on education. But once I got there, I realized it’s so much more: EYC is like a second home for many students; it’s a safe place where they can grow, discover themselves, and try new things. I was touched by how the students were always around, whether relaxing in the library during lunch, playing games, or studying together in their free time.
– Alexane

What are you most proud of? 

I am proud of the improvement and growth the students have shown in technical skills, of course, but most importantly, in critical thinking and problem-solving. Being their age and able to write codes, even if block-based, is impressive, and I am proud to have been a part of that.
– William Srong, 24 years old, French and Cambodian

What was one of the most rewarding moments for you during this time with EYC?

One of the most rewarding experiences was seeing my students truly enjoy and engage with the robotics classes. Watching their excitement as their projects came to life was incredibly satisfying. The fact that they found the class fun made all the effort worth it. During the leadership classes, there were times when I didn’t want the session to end because they were so enthusiastic and eager to participate. Their energy kept me excited to return each week. – Alexane

What best captures EYC and EYC students?  

The drive for personal growth and the thirst for knowledge. It is undeniable that EYC is creating a space for development in multiple ways. Being an institution that never claimed to be a replacement for any school but is solely here to add to students’ skill sets, the environment EYC has created has resulted in attracting highly motivated students striving for a better future.
– William Srong

The ever-present and powerful sense of community. Everyone at EYC, whether staff, students, or community members, is there to give back to others. I believe this is one of EYC’s core defining qualities: this spirit of community, coming together, and giving back. It’s what makes EYC unique.
– William Baird Smith, 26 years old, French American

What will you miss most about your time with EYC?

After working in different countries and fields, the work environment created within EYC is one in a million, and I will miss it dearly after I leave. The proximity and closeness, and bonds, almost like ones of a family, made the experience of working here truly special for me.
– William Srong

What will you take away from this experience that will impact your life moving forward? 

This experience has taught me so many things in such a short time, often in ways I didn’t expect. Living and working closely with the local community exposed me to a completely different way of life. The connections I formed with both students and colleagues taught me the true meaning of empathy and human connection. These lessons will stay with me and influence both my personal and professional life
– Alexane

What will you take away from this experience that will impact your life moving forward? 

This experience, which had at its center EYC, completely altered the perspectives and values I held previously – from what I believed education should be to how I dressed, ate, and functioned in a city – and I think this is because, even if you attempt to resist it, a place will change you, slowly, without you noticing; it will force you to adapt to what it is and change your lifestyle – down to the minutest details; for you have no choice but to be of a place in the same way that it becomes of you, and in twenty years, Phnom Penh will still be of me as I will still be of it, in some small, perhaps intangible way; this is what my experience has taught me: that we leave mutual miniscule marks on all those we meet, without realizing it; that in years to come, I will think still of those students who sat before me in Lakeside school, and they will no doubt think of me; that in a moment there is a lifetime, and that everything ends but never completely.
– William Baird Smith