By: KhaNy Sangasy, Monroe Community College
My name is KhaNy Sangasy (KAH-NEE SANG-GAH-SEE), and I am 20 years old. I am from Rochester, New York, about an hour away from Buffalo.
A little about my academic journey: I graduated from Brockport High School in 2023 and initially attended Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), where I studied Game Design and Development while swimming at the NCAA Division III level. After my first year, I realized that neither my major nor the environment felt like the right fit for me. During the summer of 2024, I traveled throughout Europe with my sister, and that experience gave me time to reflect on my future. Being exposed to new places and perspectives helped me realize that I wanted to make a change.
That decision led me to transfer to Monroe Community College, which turned out to be one of the best choices I have ever made. During my time at MCC, I found opportunities that helped me grow both personally and professionally, including being selected for the Tyler Fellowship Program.
I recently graduated from MCC with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Video Production, and this fall I will be transferring to Ithaca College to study Television, Photography, and Digital Media.
Outside of academics, I spent eleven years as a competitive swimmer before ending my swimming career last year. Since then, I have enjoyed rediscovering hobbies and spending more time with friends. Some of my favorite activities include reading, crocheting, diamond painting, and watching television.
One thing that has always remained constant is my passion for storytelling. Whether through film, photography, or everyday conversations, I enjoy learning about people’s experiences and understanding the perspectives that shape their lives. I believe stories are one of the most powerful ways to connect with others and gain a deeper understanding of the world around us. Being able to document those stories through visual media is what drew me to video production.
My long-term goal is to work in the film and television industry, ideally as a cinematographer. At the same time, I am keeping an open mind and looking forward to exploring different areas within media production while continuing to build my skills and experience.
My Research Project
For my Tyler Fellowship project, I will be creating a reflexive video essay that explores moments of cultural familiarity and difference while traveling throughout Indonesia. My research question is:
What moments of cultural familiarity and difference do I encounter while traveling through Indonesia, and how do those experiences challenge or reinforce my understanding of culture, identity, and community?
I was drawn to this topic because I have always been interested in storytelling and the ways people experience and express culture. As a Vietnamese American, I am especially interested in exploring another Southeast Asian country through both a personal and analytical lens. Before developing this project, I found myself wondering what aspects of Indonesian culture would feel familiar to me and what aspects would feel entirely new.
Rather than approaching Indonesia as a complete outsider, I want to examine how my own cultural background influences the way I interpret the people,
traditions, and environments I encounter. I am interested not only in learning about Indonesia but also in learning more about myself through those experiences.
To investigate this question, I will use documentary-style video as my primary method of inquiry. Since our travels will take us through multiple cities and regions, video will allow me to capture movement, atmosphere, sound, and everyday life in ways that written notes or photographs alone cannot. I plan to focus on themes such as public life, food culture, religion in everyday spaces, folklore and mythology, and the relationship between tradition and modern life.
Alongside the video component, I will maintain a blog that serves as a reflective field journal. The video essay will capture observations visually, while the blog will allow me to reflect on experiences, conversations, and cultural observations throughout the trip. Through this combination of visual storytelling and written reflection, I hope to gain a deeper understanding of both Indonesian culture and my own perspectives on identity, community, and belonging.
My interest in this topic was further inspired by a documentary project I completed last year about my mother and grandmother’s immigration journey from Vietnam to the United States. Hearing their stories and documenting their experiences reinforced my passion for cultural storytelling and inspired many of the ideas behind this project.
Traveling Through Indonesia
Our Tyler Fellowship experience will be slightly different from some of the other projects. Four MCC students were selected to travel together alongside a faculty mentor to conduct research and create a short documentary focused on Indonesian folklore and folk art.
Throughout the trip, we will travel to locations including Jakarta, Yogyakarta, and Padang. We plan to visit museums, temples, film archives, and other
culturally significant sites connected to Indonesian folklore and storytelling traditions.
Conducting research in a foreign context provides opportunities that go beyond what can be learned through books, articles, or online sources. Because my project focuses on cultural familiarity and difference, being physically present in Indonesia is an essential part of the research process. I will be able to observe everyday life firsthand, interact with new environments, and experience cultural practices in ways that would not be possible from home.
I also think this experience will challenge some of my assumptions and encourage me to think more critically about how my own background influences the way I understand culture, identity, and community. In many ways, I expect this journey to be just as much about self-discovery as it is about learning about Indonesia.
I am incredibly excited to experience a different culture firsthand. While I have done research before the trip, I believe there is something uniquely valuable about immersing yourself in a place and learning through direct experience. I am especially interested in seeing how my perceptions and assumptions change between the beginning and end of the journey.
As someone who does not travel internationally very often, my biggest concerns are the language barrier, adjusting to jet lag, and balancing research responsibilities with active travel. However, I see those challenges as part of the learning experience.
My goal is to make the most of this opportunity by remaining curious, observant, and open-minded. I want to fully immerse myself in the culture, pay attention to the details of everyday life, and engage with people and places on a deeper level. Through both my research and personal reflections, I hope to gain a better understanding of Indonesia while also learning more about my own perspectives and experiences.
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