In the summer of 2006, I bicycled solo 2,800 miles across Laos, Cambodia, and Burma (Myanmar). The original goal of the trip was to raise enough money, $15,500, to construct one primary school in Laos in conjunction with the organization Room to Read. However, the trip exceeded expectations in many ways. Over $22,500 was raised, enough for a primary school and library in Laos as well as two K-12 scholarships for girls in Cambodia. During the ride, I learned more than I could have imagined by speaking with hundreds of locals, spending the night in monasteries and small villages, and visiting numerous development organizations. I was tailed by a government official in Burma, the guest of honor at a Buddhist ceremony in a village in Laos, did a 10-day silent meditation retreat in Cambodia, and made it to places where few foreigners ever venture.

Following the trip, I decided to take the year off from Brown University to share my experience at over 30 schools and universities. This past summer, I had the opportunity to travel to East Africa to assist in starting an all-girls boarding school in western Kenya (www.wisergirls.org). Currently, I am a finishing my senior year at Brown and volunteering as Northeast Regional Student Coordinator for the US Campaign for Burma. This year, I look forward to continue speaking about the importance of being an active global citizen.