Allison Choong recently had the opportunity to showcase her work on a global stage. The second-year sociology and criminology and justice studies double major was among 15 finalists selected out of over 700 applicants for the Young Global Changers Recoupling Awards. This accomplishment awarded her a fully funded trip to pitch her project, 'Safiya Speaks Up,' at the 2025 Global Solutions Summit in Berlin, Germany this May, where she represented Drexel and her home country of Malaysia.  

 

The Young Global Changers (YGC) Recoupling Awards are an integral part of the Global Solutions Summit, an international conference that addresses key policy challenges facing global governance. YGC recognizes impactful projects led by students, young professionals, social entrepreneurs, non-profit leaders and activists around the world. These individuals, aged 18-35, lead initiatives focused on fostering a better alignment—or “recoupling”—of economic prosperity with environmental sustainability and the needs of societies and communities.  

 

Choong was seeking grant opportunities to grow 'Safiya Speaks Up' — a multilingual children's book, mentor’s guide and educational initiative aimed at teaching young girls about sexual violence — when a mentor back home in Malaysia suggested she apply for the YGC award. Choong co-created the project during high school while participating in a program with She’s the First, a global nonprofit that works with grassroots organizations throughout the world to uplift girls' rights, especially pertaining to education. Part of the program was a group project, where Choong found herself paired with girls from various countries.  

 

“We chose to do a project about safety from violence, especially sexual violence, because we're all from different countries, yet this is something a lot of us have seen people close to our hearts go through,” Choong recalled. "We wanted to create something for young girls to be able to use to confront sexual violence because we realized there weren't many tools a child could just pick up from a school library and learn from. We like to say it’s by young girls, for young girls.” 

 

The project’s broad reach beyond country or culture was echoed at the Global Solutions Summit. Choong received positive reactions during the pitch competition and attendees agreed that 'Safiya Speaks Up' is a resource that belongs in schools worldwide.  

 

"Unfortunately, sexual violence is something that's present in every country,” Choong explained. “People from many different countries told me that this is something relevant in their country and that they knew someone who could have benefited from this book. It was amazing to have so many leaders come up to me to give me their contact information. Hopefully we will have more conversations about funding the project or helping with distribution in countries we haven't reached yet.” 

 

'Safiya Speaks Up' is currently available in four languages: English, Malay, Swahili and Tagalog. By meeting people from around the world at the summit, Choong was able to find volunteers to help translate the book into 12 additional languages, including French, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean, Hindi, Urdu and Arabic. 

 

Participating in the competition also helped Choong learn from her fellow finalists about how to effectively pitch her project. The first time she pitched ‘Safiya Speaks Up’ was during last year’s Pennoni Honors College Quick Pitch competition, which she won, but this second pitch was on a much larger stage.  

 

“I can see a big difference in how I've been able to talk about my work from then to now, so I can't wait to see how I am able to push my work further in the future,” she said. “This journey has given me the motivation to continue working on this project while also juggling co-op and classes.”  

 

An international student from the Malaysian island of Penang, Choong first heard about Drexel from a college counselor at her school and says the opportunity to pursue an education in the competitive Drexel Global Scholars program was a no-brainer.  

 

“I love how Drexel is a really nice mix of a big city environment, yet a community where I can meet people and where professors know my name and help me find opportunities,” she said. “Drexel professors want to see you thrive and are willing to help you make your vision happen.” 

 

Because of opportunities she has found at Drexel, Choong has been able to travel to Chicago, Singapore and Germany to promote 'Safiya Speaks Up.' She has also attended fundraisers in Philadelphia to discuss her book with community leaders, and plans to do more outreach this summer that will hopefully land the book in local libraries. 

 

“I like this quote I have on my wall, 'If it's your calling, it will keep calling,’” Choong shared. “If you are really passionate about something, you should continue pursuing it, although you may be tired — and I won't lie, I'm really tired. But I know what I'm doing will benefit others in the long run, myself included. So I'm going to continue doing it.”