2023 Fall Intern Testimony

Hello, my name is Dechen! 

I’m a senior at Albany High School in the Bay Area. I was introduced to Rokpa by my cousin and fell in love with its mission to uplift the Tibetan community through academic mentorship and community enrichment. I joined as a Rokpa Scholar and Rokpa has been pivotal in providing guidance throughout my college application journey. 

My commitment to servicing the Tibetan community has been ingrained in me throughout my life. So when they introduced their Fall Internship program, I immediately applied and was thrilled for an opportunity to participate.

My experience with Rokpa has been transformative. I got to see Rokpa work behind the scenes, making infographics and contributing to community enrichment efforts. With the guidance of Acha Jinpa la, I developed and spearheaded my own project culminating in a workshop on the significance of Tibetan Buddhist sand mandalas. We had the opportunity to learn from Gen Thupten Dhonye la at our local monastery, Gyuto Foundation, and make our own! 

Community members creating sand mandalas at the direction of Gen Thupten Dhonye la

Sand Mandala Workshop Crew, October 29, 2023

This internship allowed me to foster a stronger sense of community among fellow Tibetan students in the Bay Area and for this I am extremely grateful. Now that spring internships are open, I highly encourage anyone interested in servicing the Tibetan community to apply. You can bring your interests and goals to the table and the Rokpa Team will work with you to accomplish them.