Ashley Knight-Williams

Sa Wat Dee! My name is Ashley Knight-Williams. I was born in Queens, New York and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina before coming Howard University in Washington, D.C. I am an Administration of Justice major, Psychology minor. As a criminal justice major I hope to work in the Federal Bureau of Investigation focusing on child abduction, human trafficking, and domestic violence. Being a first generation college student and a part of the LBGT community, I have faced numerous hardships which have only made me stronger in the end. I have the pleasure of being my family’s first generation study abroad student. Being a person who since a young age has always craved adventure, I’ve honed in on my outgoing and vibrant personality. I know there will be an opportunity to showcase my innovativeness in Southeast Asia.

This summer I will have the amazing opportunity to spend six weeks studying the cultural foundations of Thai society and Public Health with The Education Abroad Network. I will be traveling to Chiang Mai, Thailand and Phnom Penh, Cambodia. This program will help me gain a deeper understanding of the traditions and cultural of Southeast Asia, while examining the challenges and successes in topics such as women’s rights, gender based violence, and youth sexuality. In Thailand there is no jury system therefore I hope to learn and explore how this has impacted or improved the community and incorporate it in my senior thesis. Being able to fully immerse myself in the Southeast Asian culture is a dream that I have always hoped to accomplish, and now my dream is finally coming to reality in the summer of 2015.