Stephanie McMahon

Stephanie volunteered at Aziza's Place from October 2009 until January 2010. She brought energy and creativity to AP and to her E2 classes with projects like the gingerbread house creations seen earlier in the blog. With the help of her Mom, she also ingeniously managed to bring snow to Cambodia. That's impressive! Stephanie had the opportunity to do some further traveling around Asia from which she has many stories to share. She was last seen heading towards her next stop in India, before eventually heading home to San Francisco.



How did you find Aziza’s Place?
After deciding to head to Cambodia for a much-needed sabbatical, I found Aziza's Place through a wonderful twist of fate...and a good old-fashioned search on Idealist.org.

What brings you here? What is your motivation to come?
I went to Cambodia because I was lost, metaphorically. After working as a litigator defending big corporate America, I felt deflated, as if my spirit had been crushed. I wanted to find that which would make me truly happy and reignite that spark, which had been clouded for a time. I also think that we should not all wait until the age of 62 to take a retirement; early retirements should be embraced and taken at healthy intervals throughout our lives (especially while we still all have our teeth to enjoy all the wonderful exotic foods!).
I originally arrived in Cambodia with the intention of practicing law at the war crimes tribunal. However, after being introduced to AP and the children therein, I felt a special and immediate connection. The energy of the children was irreplaceable and unrivaled, and I knew that I wanted to be a part of and surrounded by it.

What are you doing or did you do at AP?
I taught intermediate English.

What preconceived ideas of Cambodia did you have before that have been changed since being here?
I had very few preconceived notions about Cambodia prior to arriving in country. My notions were only influenced by that which we learned in high school history class, focusing on the genocide and the destruction of an entire generation. After spending time in Cambodia and interfacing with the Khmer people, I was impressed by the fortitude and the spirit to rebuild a nation. There is a strong work ethic, dedication to educating the younger generation, and focus on development. But, most importantly, there is a spirit and strength in the eyes of the people who live simply but live fully.

What advice would you give to new volunteers?
Pack lightly! Embrace the sweat! Eat lots of bananas (fried! barbecued! wrapped in sticky rice!) and be smart but try all the street food! Your stomach will survive.

What did you do before coming to AP?
I was a litigator at a big corporate law firm based in Silicon Valley.

What are your plans for after AP?
After AP, I continued my journey westward, eventually traveling around the world and ending up back to the United States. My path post-AP is still continuing to be formed.

What is something unique about where you come from? How is it similar or different from Cambodia?
I grew up on the beach in Los Angeles, the exact antithesis to Cambodia. There are certainly no roadside vendors, no jazzersize at 5pm at Olympic Stadium (but cars do stop when you try to cross the streets). But, there also is no spirit, simplicity, fortitude, or joy as there is in Cambodia.

What’s your favorite memory at AP?
(1) 11 kids (including me) in a tuktuk, on the way back into PP from a field trip to Socheat's family's farm outside the city. One kid asleep on my lap, one kid on each knee, one on my right shoulder, and a banana tree on the left shoulder. It was a perfect end to a day cooking for each other, playing cards, picking and eating the local fruits.
(2) I told my class that my mom was coming to visit Cambodia from America. Sokty ran up, tapped me on the shoulder, and asked me, "Can your mom bring us a present from America?" I responded, "Sure, what do you want from America." He responded, "Can your mom bring us snow? Snow from America?" I laughed and responded, "That is a wonderful idea. But, how long do you think the flight from America to Cambodia is?" Sokty said, "About 24 hours, but she can put the snow in a freezer and it will be okay." Inspired by Sokty, the weather patterns magically changed and in December, right before Christmas, snow arrived. Who knew that snow falls in 32 degree heat? Holy global warming!!!