Jaw Club's impact in Cambodia

By Liliana Chai April 2, 2025

While many students spent their ski break relaxing at home, members of the Journey Around the World (JAW) club traded their typical routines for an immersive teaching experience in Cambodia.

For the past three years, the JAW club has spent their February breaks in Cambodia to volunteer at the Doris Dillon School in Cambodia. The JAW club advocates for under deserving students by supporting international schools and organizations through donations and volunteer experience, with this year’s trip continuing their mission.

The trip was organized through the founders of Doris Dillon, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting education in underserved regions in Cambodia, with many of its founders former teachers from the neighboring Bret Harte Middle School. They coordinated a meeting with interested volunteers from the school and other Bay Area schools, including Saratoga High School and Los Gatos High School, to outline lesson plans before departure.

Among this year’s volunteers were Senior Nikita Anand and Junior Isabel Wright, both drawn to JAW for its initiative of expanding global education. Anand came across Doris Dillon’s Cambodia education page and found their goals for education on a global scale to be extremely empowering. She found that the JAW club was associated with them and joined to connect even more. Wright was instantly attracted to the club during her freshman year club rush for its mission of international impact.

During their time in Cambodia, the volunteers taught different subjects based on their areas of expertise. Anand focused on science subjects and female empowerment, emphasizing the importance of open conversations surrounding health.

“Girls’ health is a very taboo topic in Cambodia, but I believe that all girls, regardless of their circumstances, deserve to understand their bodies. It ended up being a great discussion because of our different perspectives, so it was very eye-opening to hear their takes on girls’ health,” Anand said.

Meanwhile, Wright introduced students to computer programming in Python , a subject many had never encountered before. Using Turtle, a Python module that allows users to create drawings from code, Wright helped students express creativity through in a novel way.

“A lot of them do not have access to the technology necessary to learn how to code given their living conditions. Through donations to the school, they were able to receive computers to design fun patterns and really engage with technology. It was heartwarming to see how eager they were to learn,” Wright said.

Tomas Blandino, Foreign Language Department, has been JAW club’s advisor for the past four years. He believes the high level of commitment the students demonstrate enables them to accomplish great things.

“It is not just about what students get to put on their college essays; it is about doing something that truly helps other people in a meaningful way that I see to be the club’s true achievement. When students start seeing the world through someone else’s eyes and their radically different experiences, that is when they truly grow,” Blandino said.

Beyond academics, the trip to Cambodia was a transformative experience that broadened the volunteers' perspectives and strengthened their leadership and communication skills. The Cambodian students' optimism and gratitude, despite their limited resources, fostered strong connections and inspired the volunteers.

“Even though their resources are scarce compared to ours, they still have so much love and appreciation for the things they do have. This experience reminded me to take a step back and be grateful for what I have,” Anand said.

The JAW club has made efforts to expand their reach to other countries, but coordination issues remain a challenge. With continued fundraising efforts and a focus on strengthening ties with organizations like Doris Dillon, the club is determined to continue to support educational initiatives worldwide for years to come.

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About the Contributors

Liliana Chai

Staff Writer

Liliana Chai is a sophomore at Leland High School. She is a staff writer for the 2024-25 Charger Account. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, playing piano, writing poetry and sleeping.