1. Could you tell us about yourself?
My name is Mam Seihareach, and I am currently a senior pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Business, with a minor in law, at the American University of Phnom Penh.
I have never been particularly interested in doing only what is required. University gives you a timetable, but it also gives you four years surrounded by people, ideas, competitions, organizations, and far more opportunities than most students realize. It seemed a waste not to make use of them. So I did.
Over the past few years, academically, I have been involved with the Student Government Association, the AUPP Community for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS, originally known as the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at AUPP), the AUPP Debate Society, and later gained professional experience at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cambodia.
My interests tend to sit somewhere between Business, Law, and IR. On the surface, those may appear to be rather different things. I think they are connected by one fairly simple idea: understanding how people make decisions, particularly when the answer is not obvious.
I enjoy situations that require a bit of judgment. Problems with clear answers are useful for exams, but outside a classroom, things are rarely that accommodating.
I would not say I have worked out precisely where everything leads yet. But I have become quite comfortable with that.
For now, I am interested in learning from capable people, taking on difficult work, and putting myself in rooms where I still have something to prove. Preferably to myself.
2. Could you tell us about the achievements you are most proud of?
I have been fortunate to have a few achievements I am proud of, although I have never thought the certificate was the most interesting part.
One of the more recent ones was representing AUPP in the CFA Research Challenge, where our team finished as runner-up in the national round. The challenge required us to research, analyse, form a recommendation, and then defend it properly.
Before that, I was part of the team behind Farmily, which won the Faulkner Challenge hosted by Fort Hays State University. The concept was built around connecting farmers and consumers. That experience taught me something rather basic about entrepreneurship: a clever idea is not necessarily a useful one. Somebody has to actually want it.
I have also participated in and organized several Mock conferences internationally and locally, which allowed me to engage with international issues, negotiate with people holding very different perspectives, and become more comfortable thinking and speaking.
In the course of my professional career with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, I also had the opportunity to present myself and contribute meaningfully on many diplomatic occasions. I had the chance to attend high-level meetings and courtesy calls with heads of government, line ministries, international delegations, and business companies, contributing to the development of Cambodia’s international affairs and Economy. It is an important achievement, because it’s quite rare for university students to attend.
They are very different achievements.
The thing is, I am proud of all the results, of course.
But more than that, I am pleased that each one required me to become slightly better at
something I was not yet particularly good at.
3. Could you tell us about one thing or experience you encountered that changed
your life?
I wouldn’t say there was one experience that completely changed my life, but there was one that significantly changed my perspective on how I see the world.
It was during my work with the Economic Diplomacy team at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. There were many things that made the experience memorable to me. I earned my first salary, which gave me a sense of pride and independence, but more importantly, I was given opportunities that I never expected to have, even when I was just an intern.
I had the chance to attend high-level meetings involving some heads of government, line ministries, and institutions, and I also helped liaise with foreign delegations, our own mission to the border, and many more.
Before that experience, most of my understanding of government came from what I studied, what I heard from other people, or what I saw in the media. But working inside a government institution allowed me to see another side of it. I saw the amount of preparation, coordination, research, and work that happens behind the scenes.
It also made me realize that contributing to the development of a country does not always mean doing something huge. Even some of the work I was doing as an intern, such as researching, preparing documents, and coordinating meetings, was part of a much larger process.
So I wouldn’t say the internship changed my entire life, but it definitely changed the way I see public service, work, and my own ability to contribute to something bigger than myself.
4. Who is the person you look up to the most?
Honestly, I don’t think there is one particular person I look up to above everyone else. I tend to admire different people for different reasons, like my dad, my mentors and professors, and even my boss. With respect to those individuals, if I really had to choose one person, I would probably say myself or, more precisely, the person I’m trying to become.
I admire people who remain composed under pressure, take responsibility without making a performance of it, and never confuse confidence with volume. Something is reassuring about someone who does not need to explain their importance.
That is the standard I set for myself. Credibility is built quietly. You arrive prepared. You do what you said you would do. You treat people properly. When things become difficult, you remain useful. And when something goes wrong, you solve the problem rather than search for someone to blame.
I also value ambition without becoming impressed by oneself or by everyone or anyone.
So I look up to the version of myself I have not yet become, which is to be capable, dependable, thoughtful, and composed, the sort of person who does not need to dominate the room, but whose absence would be noticed.
5.What are the steps you took that led you to where you are right now?
I wish there were a beautifully organized plan I could present here. There was not.
Most of what brought me here came from being curious enough to try something, disciplined enough to take it seriously, and sensible enough to learn when I got something wrong.
Joining AUPP was an important part of that. With the scholarship essay, I wrote: “I will apply my knowledge and leadership skills to obtain my business degree with a focus on benefiting the school’s community. Sharing and exchanging experiences to maintain a prosperous relationship, connectivity, sustainability, and development within the school.”
In fact, I’m proud to say that I have fulfilled the promise. I became involved with the school’s extracurricular activities, representing the school in many competitions, and used what I studied in class for real-world application, which is my job. Those experiences taught me rather quickly that leadership is less about having a title and more about dealing with people and how to get the job done.
6. What are the happiest moments of your life?
The happiest moments are usually not the ones I plan.
They tend to arrive about thirty seconds after something difficult finally works.
Winning the Faulkner Challenge was one of those moments.
Farmily began as an idea, which is a very comfortable stage for any business because nothing has gone wrong yet. Then comes the inconvenient part: identifying customers, understanding the problem, working with a team, revising the concept, and explaining it to people who have no sentimental attachment to your work.
Winning made all of that worthwhile. I love winning. It makes me happy.
But I would not say all my happiest moments involve winning, stages, or certificates.
Some are considerably less impressive from the outside.
Finishing a difficult project with people you respect.
Watching an idea improve after several failed versions.
Having a conversation that changes the way you think.
Realising that something which once made you nervous has become routine.
Those moments matter too.
Awards are useful. They give your family something to photograph and LinkedIn something to discuss.
But eventually they become lines on a CV. What tends to stay with me are the people I met, the ridiculous hours I kept, the arguments I survived, and the quiet satisfaction of knowing the work was worth doing.
Those are probably the moments I remember most fondly.
7. Is there any advice for the people who look up to you?
I would be slightly concerned if too many people were looking up to me. I am still working things out myself.
But if I had to offer something, I would say there is this old idea I rather like: “A harmless man is not a complete man. A complete man is a dangerous man who has judgment and keeps that danger under voluntary control.”
Do not spend too much time waiting to feel ready.
Readiness is rather unreliable.
Most worthwhile opportunities arrive slightly earlier than your confidence would prefer. You can either spend months convincing yourself that you are not qualified enough, or you can prepare properly and find out.
I would also suggest becoming comfortable with being the least experienced person in the room. That is usually a very good room to be in.
Listen more than you speak. Ask sensible questions. Pay attention to how capable people behave, particularly when things go wrong. You will often learn more from that than from what they say when everything is going well.
And do not become overly concerned with appearing successful.
Titles are useful. Awards are pleasant. Recognition is flattering.
Competence lasts longer.
There is more value in becoming capable, disciplined, and strong enough to defend yourself or others, while having the judgment to decide when to use it.
Learn when to compromise and when not to. Learn when to walk away and when something is worth standing your ground for. You do not need to prove that you are dangerous, intimidating, or powerful. Ideally, you should rarely have to.
But people should also understand that your patience, politeness, and willingness to help are choices, not permission to take advantage of you.
Remain kind.
Just make sure no one ever mistakes your kindness for weakness.