Charlie Milberg '28

Title
Admission Ambassador
Bio/Description

Bridge Year location: Cambodia
Academic focus: considering SPIA

Hi, my name is Charlie Milberg (he/him), and I am from Scarsdale, New York — 30 minutes north of Manhattan. Last year, 2023-24, I participated in Bridge Year Cambodia, and I am currently a first-year student considering pursuing a major in SPIA and a double minor in Finance and Spanish. In Battambang, Cambodia — where we spent most of our time in Bridge Year — I taught English academic writing and public speaking at a Buddhist university. When I wasn’t teaching, I could be found chatting with market vendors, playing tennis with locals, reading and relaxing with my host family, learning how to sew with a traditional Khmer seamstress, or biking across the nearby rice fields. I am still in touch with the people whom I met during Bridge Year, including my former English students and faculty members at the Buddhist university, local friends, and of course, my homestay family. Post-Bridge Year, I traveled for a month to the neighboring countries in Southeast Asia, returning to New York in June, where I worked as a local day camp counselor and freelance tutor.

 

What advice would you give to prospective Bridge Year applicants?

For the application process: reach out to Bridge Year ambassadors and/or former participants to hear about their experiences (this can be a good preliminary step to determine if Bridge Year is right for you as well as a good resource for your application); research the countries you are interested in, and especially, explore the key topics that each program has to offer (i.e., international sustainable development in Cambodia) as well as the NGOs in the region; and be honest in the essays and interview (it is okay if you still are not totally sure about Bridge Year: you have to time to think about it before committing, if you get accepted).

Before heading to the host country: reach out to former participants from the specific site; do some more research on your host country, the program’s themes, NGOS listed (and unlisted) on the location’s program details page; have no expectations; and carry an open mind.

How has Bridge Year informed your Princeton experience?

I have gained invaluable experiences and knowledge of different cultures and beliefs and have brought a more well-rounded, open mind to campus and my classes. I also have a stronger sense of what I want to study and know myself much better than before.

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