Laura Musser, '09

Citizen of the world travels, raises funds for children in Cambodia for Jepson internship

November 5, 2009

Fall 2008

Laura Musser has been interested in travel ever since her family moved from Wexford, Pa. to live in the Netherlands for two years, where she was able to travel extensively throughout Europe at a young age. 

Now a senior, she has extended her interest in travel to her studies as a leadership and international studies major with a modern Europe concentration, and a French minor. Musser studied abroad in Paris, and works as a drill instructor for the French department this fall. She has also traveled on spring break service trips to New Orleans and Guatemala.

Musser’s interest in international service grew as she received updates from her aunt Jamie Amelio, who had started a nonprofit organization called Caring for Cambodia (CFC) in 2003. Based in Siem Riep, Cambodia, the organization supports more than 3,000 children, with the mission to use education as a weapon against poverty. “Working in Cambodia was one of those things that I always thought would be an amazing way to make a difference,” Musser said.

But when Musser arrived to work as an intern with CFC in Siem Riep in summer 2008, she was not fully prepared for some of the cultural adjustments. “I had a hard time adjusting to being in Asia,” she admits, “especially on my own. Also, being in Cambodia has changed my perspective on ‘tough’ in the language sense because I do not have much knowledge of Khmer.”

Musser’s main job interning as an English teacher was to create a unit on conversational English for other teachers to use after she returned to the United States. She also helped students write letters in English to their sponsors. Having to be flexible with the program as it was taking off was an adjustment for her. “A typical day is a day that does not have an exact pattern,” she said. “Things are fluid and nothing seems to be set in stone.” 

She observed vast differences in opportunities for Cambodian children compared to Americans. “In America we can get a free education in English and learn about potential epidemics like HIV” she said, adding that garbage collection, clean water, and immunizations are considered luxuries in Cambodia. Part of Musser’s work was  teaching basic cleanliness and hygiene practices.

“In the States we at times seem to have more opportunity than we know what to do with,” she said, “while here there are children not only starving for food but for the opportunity to be something or somebody.”

As part of her Jepson internship requirement, Musser reflected on and wrote about her experiences on a blog. “I think it has not only helped me get the word out about Cambodia,” she said, “but has allowed me to make sense of my experiences and sort through my feelings. The feedback I receive is encouraging because every comment shows people care about what is going on.”

She continues to work on raising awareness and gaining support for CFC. Musser started a fundraising project  "Caring Chains," in which she sells bracelets her students made. Proceeds benefit the program. 

Musser said the ideas she learned in her leadership classes encouraged her to think about how to become engaged with societies around the world. She has particularly been thinking about her research in a leadership in international context course. “My group discussed the notion of justice,” Musser said. “This is something that I’ve been thinking a lot about, especially because of the current tribunals being held by the ICJ and the Cambodian government in order to try former Khmer Rouge officials.”

She is committed to making a difference in the world after she graduates. Though she said her plans for the future seem to change every day, she is considering applying for a Fulbright to do research in Siem Reip or Phenom Penh. Other options include applying to law school in a year, working for a nonprofit in Washington, or teaching English in France.

Musser believes that individuals can make a difference, even in small ways. “While it might be something barely noticeable for you,” she said, “it might make a world of difference to someone else.” 

Laura Musser’s Blog

Fall 2008
This is one of a group of articles featuring Jepson School graduates and students as part of the 150 Days in a Lifetime of Service campaign.

Article ID: 404