AN UPDATE FROM THE LITTLE RED DOT

KKU is the largest university in the Isaan region. While the land is much flatter than that of the Pacific Northwest, I learned just how much beauty exists in the rice fields and small towns that blossom from the city. I learned that som tam, laab, and sticky rice are a lifestyle. And I learned that, while the Isaan language is rarely spoken in the public sphere, it is always a good idea to have a few Isaan phrases tucked in your back pocket as a linguistic secret handshake.

After two years of learning Thai, eating spicy food, and listening to the warble of geckos at sundown, I returned to Seattle to work at a nonprofit that focuses on increasing student achievement. And this past fall, I joined PiA as a PD. Although I miss Richard Parker, my bpa’s, my barber, and my students, Princeton has proven itself to be a welcoming city. I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with PiA and to see our Fellows grow and continue traveling down the path ahead of them with a new understanding of the world and all its wonder.

and it helps current Fellows reflect on their own PiA experiences, how they can learn from their time in Asia, and the limitless possibilities for after PiA. In this edition of Pacific Bridges, we’re thrilled to share the stories of several extraordinary alumni. They have followed different paths, but the common thread is that their PiA experiences had lasting impacts on their lives.

This is consistent not only with anecdotal evidence, gleaned from conversations with PiA alumni, but also with the findings from a recent alumni survey we conducted, in which we gained a deeper understanding of the type of impact PiA has on the personal and professional lives of our participants: 87% of respondents noted that PiA influenced their career trajectory; 97% said PiA helped build their interpersonal skills; and 95% reported they were more resilient as a result of PiA. And, we learned that PiA fosters long-term connections to Asia: two out of three alumni reported returning to their host country after PiA; alumni spent an average of 3 years in Asia after PiA; and 77% of alumni reported maintaining contact with friends from their host community.

We hope you enjoy these stories of impact and connection, and we hope you’ll share your PiA story with us in 2020 – whether at applicant interviews, an Alumni Network chapter event, a Global Hosted Dinner (coming again in the spring!), or at orientation and the Annual Dinner in May. Thank you for your support of PiA in 2019 – and here’s to a wonderful 2020!nguage, knowing I

Greetings from Sunny Singapore!

Our field office has been very busy over the last few months, and I have some exciting updates to share!

First, our office has relocated to a beautiful and centrally located co-working space called The Company! The layout provides quiet spaces to concentrate, open spaces for collaboration, and a variety of meeting rooms. We are sharing the space with other interesting and friendly professionals, and we’ve been lucky to meet passionate and inspiring entrepreneurs, techies, and not-for-profit workers. Plus, we have a great Japanese café in the co-working space. If you are ever in Singapore, please drop by for a coffee or tea!

I am also pleased to announce that we have re-signed a new Memorandum of Understanding with Ngee Ann Polytechnic. We are lucky to count Ngee Ann Polytechnic as one of our partner organizations – beginning in 1993, NAP has hosted 158 PiA Fellows. In addition to sending Fellows to teach at NAP, PiA will provide research reports and coordinate a speaker’s series to support Ngee Ann’s on and off campus programming. We’re also recruiting former NAP Fellows (Asia-based) who are interested in mentoring NAP students. If you are a former NAP Fellow, and are interested, please reach out.

Finally, we had a wonderful party at the house of Board of Trustee David Johnson. It was a great gathering of 80 Fellows, board members, alumni, partner organizations and friends of Princeton in Asia. The Princeton University contingent was strongly represented, as we had a special performance by The Nassoons, one of the most storied acapella groups from Princeton University. They were touring in Singapore, and we were lucky enough to have them perform a full set for our guests. We heard crowd favorites like “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and “What a Wonderful World”, but the highlight was their rousing rendition of “Old Nassau”. It was fitting that the oldest Princeton acapella group joined forces with one of the oldest cultural exchange programs at Princeton. We finished the night with catering from the PiA staff’s favorite Thai restaurant. We are deeply grateful to David Johnson for hosting this magical PiA night, and will not soon forget this evening well spent with good friends, good food, and an even better soundtrack.