Ann Kwan
Singapore
Economics and international relations
OPENING DOORS: ANN'S STORY
Ann Kwan used her $10,000 Kathryn Wasserman Davis Projects for Peace grant to open a café and handicrafts shop in Phnom Penh for a nonprofit that provides shelter, food and education for people with disabilities.
GOOD TO GO: "We had to convert a shabby house into a fun little café in just two weeks before opening day. To minimize costs, we did everything we could on our own. So my Khmer staff, some physically disabled, and I got into our oldest clothes and got right down to it. We were covered in paint and dust each day from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m."
A SATISFYING EXPERIENCE: For the United World Scholar who is focusing on development and social economics, this project was a rewarding challenge. "Having the chance to open a shop when you're 20 years old is not something that you get every day… I learned so much about myself and about business from having the practical opportunity to make this happen. One of the biggest lessons I learned was to delegate and to trust that other people can get it done just as well, if not better."
BRAIN FOOD: "I know that my independent thinking and ability to make decisions quickly as well as to consider consequences and opportunity costs, comes from my Wheaton experience, particularly as an international student. If I hadn't been able to just make a decision, stick with it and live with it, I could still be out there waiting for the perfect shop location."