Claire Oberle has done interviews before for the USC Price School of Public Policy.
Usually, though, she was the one asking the questions.
Oberle, who earned a Bachelor of Science in Public Policy (BSPP) in 2025, was also a student worker who conducted interviews and created content for the USC Price School’s blog and social media channels. It was a job that taught her the power of a well-told story.
“That role really shaped the way that I view the importance of communication, the importance of storytelling and the importance of media literacy,” Oberle said from Cambodia.
Now, she’s helping children in Cambodia tell their stories. Oberle, a Fulbright Student who is teaching English classes in the country, is fundraising to build StoryLab, a youth media lab at the Cambodian Children’s Fund (CCF)’s Neeson Cripps Academy high school. The lab will provide recording equipment and teach students production skills, Oberle said.
“More importantly, it will give them a platform to tell their stories and tell stories from their community,” Oberle added.
Representing the U.S. Abroad
Oberle’s fundraising and volunteer work at CCF has kept her busy – and it’s not even part of her Fulbright duties.
The Fulbright programs, funded primarily by the U.S. Department of State, provide grants for research projects or English teaching assistant programs. Oberle said she was placed at Royal University of Phnom Penh and is the college’s first native English teacher. She co-teaches three classes with local professors: general reading and writing skills, as well as a global studies class in English.
“Teaching is so fulfilling, but it is also such a learning process,” Oberle said. “As much as I’m teaching, I am learning from either my students or the other professors at the school.”
Oberle’s interest in Cambodia can be traced to her globe-trotting upbringing. She was born in Chicago, but grew up mostly outside of the United States as her parents’ jobs took them to Shanghai, China and The Hague in the Netherlands, where she graduated high school.
Growing up in three different countries “forces a genuine curiosity about what’s going on in the world and what works, especially relating to public policy,” Oberle noted.
She spent three weeks in Cambodia when she was 12, an experience that made her want to apply for Fulbright and come back.
“It is such an amazing country,” Oberle said. “Phnom Penh, the capital where I’m based, is such a great city. There’s so much warmth, so much hospitality, so much energy, but there’s also so much history in the country, and you can really feel that everywhere.”
Oberle is one of 19 USC students and recent alumni who have been awarded Fulbright U.S. Student Program grants this year, making USC one of the nation’s top producers of Fulbright students. Another Price alum, Ivana Karastoeva (MPA ‘25), won an English Teaching Assistant Award in Turkey. The Fulbright programs are the U.S. government’s flagship international academic exchange effort.
As a Fulbright student, Oberle sees herself as a representative of the U.S. to Cambodia. It can be a challenging time to do that, she acknowledged. For example, federal cuts to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) halted funding for programs relating to education, healthcare, and advocacy that employed and supported Cambodians, Oberle said.
Despite this, Oberle said her students are fascinated with American history and culture. They ask her questions ranging from policy challenges like gentrification to pop culture references and the rules of baseball. Many of her English students tell her they want to study in the U.S. as a life goal.
“When you are representing the U.S. in a foreign country, during a very important time in history, and are able to engage with rooms of people, it illustrates the broader impact of the Fulbright program,” Oberle said.
Beyond the fledgling media lab, Oberle is finding other ways to help Cambodians express themselves. She recently started a school newspaper, where students can write about their community, local news, and personal interests. She alsoworks at Seekers Spirits House, a Cambodian-based spirits company, where she is leading the editorial process for Cambodia’s first craft cocktail book, in which local bartenders will submit recipes to be featured in a book that highlights local flavors and storytelling.
“Cambodians are very welcoming and very hospitable, but they are also just so resilient,” Oberle said. “I see this every day with my students and with people on the street. There are many problems and such a tumultuous history, but there is also a commitment to progress and forward thinking. They’re ready to make every day the best day, which is really refreshing and really exciting to be around.”
