Sochea Chhay
Attending
Academic MajorUndeclared
Class of 2025 |
Sochea Chhay attends Beloit College. On campus, Sochea is one of the executive board members of APSA (Asia Pacific Student Association) which aims to promote Asian Pacific education and diversity. This club is focused on educating the campus community on the Asian Pacific, social, and cultural issues and events, and providing advice and assistance to international students in adjusting to a new environment.
Sochea was born in a small community in Siem Reap, a rural province of Cambodia. When she was four years old, her parents migrated to work as factory workers in the capital city of Phnom Penh. Even though her family encountered many challenges, she is grateful for her parents’ unconditional support and motivation. Sochea is the first person in her family to pursue a college degree, and she wants to use her education to empower marginalized people and bring Cambodia towards self-reliance. Sochea is particularly passionate about gender equality and women’s empowerment. She spearheaded a project called “COVID-19 and Women Vulnerability” with support from Transparency International Cambodia. This project raises awareness of the disproportionate impact COVID-19 has had on Cambodian women and girls. She organized two virtual panel discussions that brought together students, youths, and stakeholders from different organization (such as USAID, Pact Cambodia, and the Cambodian Center for Human Rights) to discuss inequality, women’s skill gaps, and the impact of COVID-19 on women’s economic livelihoods and social wellbeing. Sochea was invited to share her insights with Cambodia Women’s Radio, where she talked about the youth’s role in responding and preventing the Covid-19 pandemic. In the future, Sochea hopes to initiate more projects in her home country to empower more girls to be powerful leaders. This summer Sochea has been tirelessly working on her Make A Change project entitled "Women’s Water and Sustainable Livelihood in Cambodia." Along with this, she is also doing a part-time internship with Plan International Cambodia on integrated nutrition, early childhood care development, and the WASH Program. Plan International Cambodia is a non-profit organization that strives for a just world that advances children's rights and equality for girls. They’ve been supporting children, especially the most marginalized, to realize their potential since 2002. Sochea's work focuses on research and assisting with projects that aim to improve hygiene, nutrition, and sanitation in rural communities. |
Mentor Team
Paula Gorman, Senior Manager Customer Operations, Formation
Kimberly Steffen, Senior Marketing Manger, Johnson & Johnson
Manjula Shivanna, Data Scientist Leader, Cisco
McCall Renold, Senior Manager of Strategy, Athleta
Lindsay Kresch, Director of Strategic Partnerships, CultureSync
Chantal Veale, Human Potential Coach, ipivot coaching
Kimberly Steffen, Senior Marketing Manger, Johnson & Johnson
Manjula Shivanna, Data Scientist Leader, Cisco
McCall Renold, Senior Manager of Strategy, Athleta
Lindsay Kresch, Director of Strategic Partnerships, CultureSync
Chantal Veale, Human Potential Coach, ipivot coaching