Staff Interview with Racha Kerdsilp
Get to know International Student Volunteers' staff!
Starting in 2011 as a project leader, Racha recently moved up north to Chiang Mai in August 2014 to work full-time for the ISV Thailand office as a Project Manager. She is originally from a neighboring province of Bangkok called Samut Prakarn. Racha has lived and studied in the U.S. and the UK, and completed her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and International Relations at Webster University Thailand. Her love and passion for traveling has taken her to many different parts of the world where she learned to become a positive and active global citizen.
How did you get connected with International Student Volunteers (ISV)?
One of my best friends, Tai Panita, used to work for ISV as a project leader back in 2010. She told me about her experiences and highly recommended me to apply for this job when it was available in 2011. I have never thought that the small step I took in 2011 would forever change my life and my career.
You were ISV’s Volunteer Project Leader in Thailand before becoming the Project Manager. What are the differences in roles, and what does your role look like on a daily basis?
Being a Project Leader was a life-changing and eye-opening experience for me, but becoming a manager is a whole new world. I’m really grateful to have had the experience of leading all the projects in Thailand before, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to understand the problems and the situations that the Project Manager faces. On an everyday basis, it’s never really the same. Some days, I dealt a lot with our host organization partners and our project leaders. Other days, it could just be all about finding new volunteer projects for Thailand. It’s always new and exciting.
You speak Thai, Chinese, Spanish, and English. How do you incorporate language learning into your work as Thailand Project Manager?
I only speak English and Thai fluently. With Spanish, I have a good working knowledge and basic conversational skill. I get to practice Spanish most while I’m on a project with participants who speak Spanish. Language is a really really important part of my job because I have to deal with a variety of stakeholders who speak different languages, dialects, and have accents. We can have one host organization who speaks fluently English, while others may not have that advantage. You always have to be flexible.
Your undergraduate from Webster University’s campus in Thailand focused on International Relations and Psychology. What is the most important skill or takeaway you have used in your work with ISV?
Psychology is definitely applicable to every job, and I personally love to learn about different working styles through the different people that I encounter at ISV. Each one of us here are very unique and so different. There’s always something to learn from people. Since I’m still new to the role, I find this time to be very exciting and risk-taking as I want to learn as much as I can and in order to do that. You have to make mistakes and grow from there. International Relations, on the other hand, gives me a lot of background knowledge and details about how things work around the world in terms of development, humanitarian aid, and crises. I certainly felt that I get to use both of my majors in this job.
What are the most important characteristics you look for in volunteers?
I can certainly say that positive energy and open-mindedness are the two keys because volunteers will definitely encounter different cultures and lifestyles while on an ISV program. It will challenge you and make you ask questions about yourself and what you want to do in life. Being positive and flexible in whatever comes will help you grow and learn to become a better person.
What sets ISV’s volunteer programs apart from other programs in Thailand?
Our programs in Thailand have a passionate group of staff behind them. Thailand, and Asia in general, is a very distinctive region that will offer a whole new perspective as to how to approach life and the world. With ISV in Thailand, we’re trying to create the best possible volunteer experience that will be life-changing to our participants and make a difference to sustainable development initiatives of this country.
What is ISV’s most popular volunteer project in Thailand in terms of numbers, and what makes everyone love it so much?
Our Elephant Program is very popular. In Thailand, elephants are considered to be a symbol of the nation. Sadly, they have not been treated very well. Our participants especially love this project because they get to have a direct interaction with the elephants and learn many new issues surrounding the plight of Asian Elephants.
What has been your biggest accomplishment during your time with ISV?
There are so many! But, one of the experiences that I am most proud of is when I worked as a project leader and at the end of the project participants came to me and expressed their appreciation for my leadership and how much this experience changed their lives. Especially, when they said something like, “You have inspired me to be a better person for this world!” No words can ever describe those feelings of accomplishment. I am absolutely grateful!
What is your favorite part about working for International Student Volunteers?
ISV definitely makes me become a better person. I have become much more caring about the world and the environment through my work with ISV. It is super inspiring to be able to contribute to sustainable development initiatives in Thailand, and working with young people who want to make a difference. I’m really fulfilled in my job.
Are there plans to expand any of the volunteer projects in Thailand?
Of course, we are looking forward to working with several new sustainable development initiatives in Thailand, both in the conservation and community development areas. It’s a very exciting time for ISV Thailand to be able to expand and search for new partnership. I can’t wait for the new beginnings!