Emily Chen

Emily Chen (Class of 2022) was a GROW intern in Summer 2019, an experience she described as “life changing.” While in Laos, she worked with PEDA on updating its website, completing a comprehensive annual report on its malaria, tuberculosis, and STI projects, and organizing data concerning villagers’ knowledge of sustainability and health, among other tasks.

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Coming from a family with a Vietnamese father, Emily considered herself prepared to encounter cultural differences in Laos, though she supplemented her personal understanding with studies of the Lao language and norms before her departure. Nevertheless, upon arriving in Laos, she revealed that she had “the most significant case of culture shock” that she had ever experienced. She described the different standards of hygiene, in part due to the lack of running water at the Alounsavath Guesthouse where she stayed. She also noted the gender disparities that existed, especially in the workplace, and how human interactions in general were “more subtle and extremely respectful.” As an intern eager to learn about PEDA’s operations and assist with any task laid before her, Emily initially struggled with the “easygoing attitude” of her Lao coworkers, who often showed up late to work, pushed back deadlines, and did not answer her questions in a timely manner. However, she soon recognized these occurrences as “an embodiment of a culture that is just as beautiful as any other in this world,” one that prizes “working to live, not living to work.” With patience and sensitivity to how her “Westernized culture” differed from the Lao culture, Emily developed meaningful relationships with her PEDA co-workers. Outside of work, the GROW team enjoyed trips to the night market, aerobics by the Mekong River, and karaoke downtown, becoming better friends and, thus, better partners at PEDA.

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Emily shared the profound impact that meeting PEDA members left on her, describing how “friendly, caring, and passionate” everyone was. Witnessing their efforts to bond with the village communities they work with also inspired her, especially their commitment to collaboration and the facilitation of discussion with village chiefs in their own dialect. Since her return from Laos, Emily’s passion for GlobeMed @ ND’s partnership with PEDA has only increased, and she works diligently to maintain her connections with the people she met. In addition, she continues to fundraise and promote PEDA’s projects centering around tuberculosis, STD’s, human trafficking, nutrition, and malaria, believing each issue is key to PEDA’s holistic mission of improving the well-being of communities. One day, Emily hopes to be a physician that assists marginalized communities globally through medical mission trips or the management of health systems on a governmental level. Thank you to Emily for sharing her story with us!