Maleah Phetsomphou

Maleah Phetsomphou was born in Laguna Hills, California and moved to North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania at the age of five. As a child, Phetsomphou played for the Norwin Soccer Club, often visited the Norwin Public Library, and loved to play outside. Growing up, she became deeply involved in her community, which led her to love the people around her. She recognized the inherent goodness in humanity, especially in the women surrounding her.

In eighth grade, Maleah joined the Model United Nations Club where she learned that people of various nationalities, origins, and beliefs can inhabit this planet harmoniously. At the beginning of conferences, rooms were filled with disagreement and haughty attitudes, but soon, the day would be full of passed legislation that solved real-life problems around the world. In a world of political tension, Model UN was a beacon of hope for humanity.

Phetsomphou spent the next four years serving the community and making lifelong friends. She was a member of the Spanish Club, Student Council, Newspaper Staff, Model United Nations, Girls’ Soccer Team, and more. Every weekday, she woke up at 5am to attend a fifty-minute scripture study class for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints before her regular school day. At her church, she served as Young Women Class President. She challenged herself with numerous AP and honors classes, with her favorite class being AP World History. She founded the Cultural Awareness Committee for Student Council and was a member of the Time Change Committee. Phetsomphou served as President of the Model United Nations Club in both her junior and senior years. Within the newspaper, she ran a podcast, The To-Knight Show, and was Chief Editor of the Knight Krier.

Phetsomphou will pursue her Bachelor’s in International Relations with a minor in Mandarin Chinese at Brigham Young University and plans to complete her 18-month mission for the Church. Following the completion of her undergraduate degree, she will pursue a Master’s in Multilateral Relations and join the United States Department of State as a Foreign Service Officer. She hopes for the opportunity to help work towards easing tensions between the United States and China.