A reflection on self-doubt, courage, and the friendships that turn strangers into best friends, from the SOC-ENVI International Summer School 2026.
By Kayyisa Jihadas Sabila · IPB University, Bogor, Indonesia.
The SOC-ENVI International Summer School 2026 was hosted by the Faculty of Social Sciences at Kasetsart University, Bangkok, in partnership with the Democratic Education Network at the University of Westminster, London. It ran for a fortnight in July 2026 and brought together undergraduate and postgraduate students from Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Hong Kong, China, and the United Kingdom to work on sustainability, social innovation, and community-based development, both in the classroom and in the field.
I almost talked myself out of coming. Past rejections had left me convinced I could not keep up with people I had not even met yet. Two weeks in Thailand taught me otherwise, and gave me back something no rejection had ever taken: my trust in myself.
The doubts I nearly listened to
Participating in an international programme for the first time gave me a wealth of new experiences and lessons. I have only just realised that I am capable of doing things I previously doubted I could do. Before this, I was very insecure, and many fears kept surfacing. That was because, over the years, I had faced a lot of rejection whenever I tried to do something new.
“Am I really worthy? What if I cannot give my best? What if I cannot catch up with the other amazing participants?”
But I realised that being given this opportunity meant I had also been given a lot of trust and support from others. Sometimes doubts arise because we are too focused on past failures, and they make us forget our own potential, our own value and our own abilities. I started to believe that I was capable of completing this programme.
“When you trust and love yourself, your fears do not disappear immediately, but your courage to face them grows much stronger.”
When you trust and love yourself, your fears do not disappear immediately, but your courage to face them grows much stronger. That courage allowed me to open up and build global connections with friends from all corners of the world, from incredibly diverse cultural backgrounds, languages and fields of study. It became a source of energy for me during my two weeks in Thailand.
New best friends: embracing stories from around the world
I did not just find study partners. I found new best friends who inspire one another. It feels amazing when you can share stories and realise that, even though you grew up in different places, you carry similar dreams and hopes for making a positive difference in the world.
I have always been passionate about listening to and learning how other people live and think. I have learnt to listen not only with my ears, but with empathy and genuine curiosity.
Those two weeks in Thailand flew by, yet the lessons I learnt will last a lifetime. Every part of the experience taught me that the greatest lessons come when we dare to step out of our comfort zones and open our hearts as wide as possible to new experiences.
Reframing the rejections
This experience changed the way I view the rejections I have faced in the past. They turned out not to be a sign that I was worthless or incapable. They were the universe’s way of guiding me to the right door, at the right time, when I was better prepared to grow.
If I had given up when faced with those closed doors, I would never have experienced the beauty of the wide-open windows that opened for me in Thailand. And if I had given up on trying and getting back up, I would never have met my new best friends.
Thank you to Adinda, Njayl, Ate Lovi, Dwi, Tri, Chi, An, Elaine, and Tim for creating such beautiful and joyful memories over the past two weeks in Thailand. Thank you also to all my friends, whom I cannot name here, for their help and support.
Loving the journey, embracing the future
The SOC-ENVI Kasetsart Summer School Programme 2026, titled “Global Sustainable Practice: From Global Sustainable Framework to Local Sustainable Foundation”, has helped me become someone who trusts and loves herself more. Loving myself means giving myself space to grow, forgiving past failures, and daring to celebrate every small success. Trusting myself is the courage to move forward even when fear remains, and to believe that I have the strength to finish what I have started.
I know that in the future there will be new challenges and perhaps new setbacks. But this time I will face them with full confidence, because I know how extraordinary the strength is that emerges when we choose to trust and love ourselves fully.
About the author
Kayyisa Jihadas Sabila is a student at IPB University, Bogor, Indonesia. She joined the SOC-ENVI Kasetsart University International Summer School in July 2026 as part of the IPB University cohort.
That’s a really insightful piece about how those early connections can shift our perspective so dramatically. It makes you think about the impact of vulnerability.
Its great to know that in this type of event you dont only learn theories but also learning about yourself.