My Experience as a Volunteer English Teacher to Underprivileged Cambodians

The three months that I spent volunteering in Cambodia undoubtedly contain the most valuable moments of my lifetime. I spent the majority of my time teaching English to primary students, doing renovations on various schools, and occasionally doing work at families homes. The children that I taught are unquestionably the most eager students that Ive ever met. Its incredibly exciting and rewarding being able to teach students who are enthusiastic about learning. Not only are they great to teach, but they are also unbelievably enjoyable to be around. With beautiful smiles plastered to their faces, they were always grabbing on to me, and despite their unfortunate circumstances they are the happiest children Ive ever met. One aspect that I loved about the program was our living situation. Instead of staying in a hostel or hotel, we lived in a home in a local village. Although we had certain amenities that the majority of our neighbors did not, we were immediately immersed in the culture. The staff at GSO are absolutely amazing and teach you so much about Cambodian culture. I became great friends with all of them and give them a lot of credit for my great experience. The most rewarding experience of my life blossomed from the love that I invested in my classroom day after day, and unexpectedly the good that I did for my underprivileged students nurtured important concepts into my own life. Love cultivated with each broken smile, every whole-hearted laugh, and the unforeseen generosity I witnessed on a daily basis. I learned the ins and outs of compassion and was enlightened about the potency of simple acts of kindness. Best of all I received an indispensable supply of gratitude for the unseen beauties of my privileged life. The only regret that I had when leaving was that I hadnt stayed longer.