By KELLY CHENG CHIALI
No, I am not joking.
I really met President Obama at the White House and had a picture taken with him.
So how did I met the President of the United States of the America? - This is because I participated in the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Academic Fellowship 2015.
Launched in 2013, YSEALI aims to strengthen leadership development across ASEAN, deepen engagement with young leaders on key regional and strengthen ties between USA and Southeast Asia.
I was lucky enough to be chosen to join this programme along with 19 other young leaders from across five countries in ASEAN, namely Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei and the Philippines.
The five-week programme focused on the topic of environmental issues and leadership. It took place in Hawaii, Colorado and Washington DC.
I do not consider myself as a leader but I am passionate about the environment and want to contribute to environmental conservation. By some stroke of sheer luck, my application was shortlisted and I managed to pass the interview.
I flew to East-West Centre in Hawaii and Washington DC to study about global environmental issues through problem-based learning, site visits and talking to the American people – from the regular everyday folks to the president himself.
One of the highlights of the programme was our meeting with President Obama in the White House along with other YSEALI professional fellows. The most memorable thing he said was “You have to be willing to lose something for your principles”. He was a very charismatic speaker and could answer any questions on the spot.
During my three weeks stay in Hawaii, I participated and facilitated many problem-based learning workshops to study the American environmental history and culture. This has trained me to generate many ideas on the spot.
Our site visits included a wide range of hands-on activities such as conducting workshops alongside partners which brought us to interesting places like Pearl Habour, Eco-Cyle recycling facility and Kualoa Ranch.
I also got to spend a weekend with an American family to understand their lifestyle and exchange cultures.
Besides that, I also volunteered at a farm that is run by students of University of Hawaii, Manoa. It was fun because I got to interact with the locals. The bonus part was harvesting the ripe vegetables and cooking them with other YSEALI fellows in our dormitory, Hale Manoa.
The next leg of journey brought us to Boulder, Colorado. The city was beautiful and its residents were so environmentally conscious. I even visited various organisations like Unreasonable Institute, Watt Architecture and Wetlands Consulting.
I cannot adequately explain how joining YSEALI Academic Fellows has changed myself. Suffice to say that my confidence level has increased and my outlook became brighter and more positive. I have made meaningful friendships, created strong networks and became part of an alumni that I am proud of.
I strongly encourage those who are interested in environment and leadership to consider joining this programme. Applications are open this December. For details, visit https://youngsoutheastasianleaders.state.gov/ to find out more.