Kaidlyne's Academic Trip to Vietnam
Donation protected
Hi Everyone! First of all, thank you for taking the time to visit my GoFundMe page for my trip to Vietnam this winter break, December 28th-January 14, 2017. Currently a freshman at American University in Washington, D.C., I am originally from Crawfordsville, Indiana. I am pursuing a double major in international relations and economics, with a specific focus on international socio-economic development. I hope to use my education to work within the United States State Department in my future career.
The process to be accepted to this program involved completing an application that consisted of multiple essay response questions, and from there, applicants were selected to move on to an interview round. As a freshman, I consider it to be such an honor to be selected for my top choice Alternative Break program, which in itself was a highly competitive process. This chance will afford me the opportunity to travel abroad for the first time in my life, as my family has never been able to support me financially in traveling internationally. As a first year college student, I could not be more excited for this opportunity--and now I need your help to get me there!
During my time in Vietnam, I will be studying Post-Vietnam War conflict resolution-- focusing on issues surrounding Agent Orange, human trafficking, and the unexploded bombs that are still affecting the country today.
One of my top goals for this trip is to further my understanding of the relationship between Vietnam and the United States, determining exactly how the U.S. can help Vietnam in its recovery, and how aid would impact the trade relationship between the two countries. Further, I hope that this trip will solidify my decision to make my regional focus Southeast Asia within my classes at The School of International Service at American University.
The trip is associated with American University's Alternative Break Program, which consists of student-led service-learning immersion programs, promoting student leadership, equality, ethical volunteering, and social justice, by cultivating a society of active students with the tools, resources, and experience to be effective leaders and allies within our local and global communities. I am looking forward to the adventures, insights, and experiences that I will gain throughout the course of this trip, and cannot wait to share with you all details and photos of the three weeks abroad. Post-Trip, my colleagues and I will plan out a service trip, pertaining to the topics aforementioned.
For some background information on the issues I will be studying: During the Vietnam War, the United States sprayed Vietnam with 19 million gallons of toxic herbicides-- 12 being Agent Orange-- in order to clear the forests and destroy the farmlands. The people exposed to this chemical are directly affected with immediate mutations in their DNA, and thousands are choosing not to have a family, out of fear of passing along the negatively-altered genes. In addition, the U.S. dropped 4.6 million tons of explosives--more than World War II--thousands of which have yet to go off, and are often found by innocent children playing or searching for scrap metal to sell for money to help their families. I will also be partnering with Vietnamese organizations pertaining to the issue of human trafficking--Vietnamese men, women, and young girls are trafficked for sex work and forced labor.
Again, thank you for visiting my GoFundMe page, and thank you for donating to further my academic studies!
The process to be accepted to this program involved completing an application that consisted of multiple essay response questions, and from there, applicants were selected to move on to an interview round. As a freshman, I consider it to be such an honor to be selected for my top choice Alternative Break program, which in itself was a highly competitive process. This chance will afford me the opportunity to travel abroad for the first time in my life, as my family has never been able to support me financially in traveling internationally. As a first year college student, I could not be more excited for this opportunity--and now I need your help to get me there!
During my time in Vietnam, I will be studying Post-Vietnam War conflict resolution-- focusing on issues surrounding Agent Orange, human trafficking, and the unexploded bombs that are still affecting the country today.
One of my top goals for this trip is to further my understanding of the relationship between Vietnam and the United States, determining exactly how the U.S. can help Vietnam in its recovery, and how aid would impact the trade relationship between the two countries. Further, I hope that this trip will solidify my decision to make my regional focus Southeast Asia within my classes at The School of International Service at American University.
The trip is associated with American University's Alternative Break Program, which consists of student-led service-learning immersion programs, promoting student leadership, equality, ethical volunteering, and social justice, by cultivating a society of active students with the tools, resources, and experience to be effective leaders and allies within our local and global communities. I am looking forward to the adventures, insights, and experiences that I will gain throughout the course of this trip, and cannot wait to share with you all details and photos of the three weeks abroad. Post-Trip, my colleagues and I will plan out a service trip, pertaining to the topics aforementioned.
For some background information on the issues I will be studying: During the Vietnam War, the United States sprayed Vietnam with 19 million gallons of toxic herbicides-- 12 being Agent Orange-- in order to clear the forests and destroy the farmlands. The people exposed to this chemical are directly affected with immediate mutations in their DNA, and thousands are choosing not to have a family, out of fear of passing along the negatively-altered genes. In addition, the U.S. dropped 4.6 million tons of explosives--more than World War II--thousands of which have yet to go off, and are often found by innocent children playing or searching for scrap metal to sell for money to help their families. I will also be partnering with Vietnamese organizations pertaining to the issue of human trafficking--Vietnamese men, women, and young girls are trafficked for sex work and forced labor.
Again, thank you for visiting my GoFundMe page, and thank you for donating to further my academic studies!
Organizer
Kaidlyne Neukam
Organizer
Washington D.C., DC