Rosanna Chhun in Angkor Wat, Cambodia
M y name is Rosanna Chhun. I am the eldest of five children and a first-generation college student. I am finishing up my fourth year at CSULB. During the last year, my life changed dramatically. I was working as a graphic designer and marketing coordinator, and I was interning at a derivatives and futures exchange firm. At the same time, I was going to school fulltime and trying to arrange my plans for spring 2007, when I would spend seven months away from home.
The biggest change of my life occurred on Christmas Eve 2006 when I stepped on a plane for the very first time. I traveled to Southeast Asia, where I toured around Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand for one month.
I was born into a Cambodian family in California and studied how to speak, read and write Cambodian. Going to Asia, however, was a completely different story. I was able to practice speaking Cambodian, meet members of my extended family and see a developing country function, while gaining a love and appreciation for my own culture and language.
After spending one month in Southeast Asia, I flew to Amsterdam to begin the six-month international exchange program that I had dreamed about since my first year of college. While in Amsterdam, I stayed in a two-room flat with a roommate from China and met people from around the world. My friends came from different countries that ranged from Russia to France to Ecuador. It was a blast learning so much about different cultures and their traditions! I attended a business school (Hogeschool voor Economishe Studies) to take business classes and to learn about the Dutch educational system and language.
While I studied in Amsterdam, I also traveled around the Netherlands, Egypt, London, Germany, Paris, Greece, Italy and Spain. After all my travels, Amsterdam and the Netherlands are still my favorite city and country. People there have a different state-of-mind and everything is very relaxed. The Netherlands is so small that you can take a train for 20 minutes and be in another amazing city. Their food comes from many different cultures and the architecture is amazing.
The seven months I spent in Asia and Europe were amazing and allowed me to discover who I am. Going abroad was one of the best decisions I ever made because it opened my horizons and allowed me to see “outside the box.” I became more independent and confident in my decisions. I learned to accept changes with open arms and want to learn as much as I can about everything. I caught the “travel bug” and loved meeting different people and cultures because each of these places offers something unique.
I met so many great people from around the world and did so many things that many people never have the chance to do. I saw a new country and learned that I can take care of myself. I now am a great advocate of the study abroad program and I believe every student should travel.
Currently, I am working toward a bachelor of science in business administration with a concentration in finance, real estate, and law, and a certificate in international business. I have been with the Partners for Success program for four years. I am a graduate of the Lois J. Swanson Leadership Resource Center’s Leadership Academy and I am a participant with the Student Center for Professional Development in the College of Business and the Student Managed Investment Fund in the Department of Finance, Real Estate and Law. My goal is to become an investment banker or financial manager and work abroad after I complete my undergraduate degree.
