Vuthy Phai Er is the first of the four young people living at the Advanced Centre for Empowerment we will be providing with scholarships this year. Below is her statement describing her background, and her dreams for the future.
Scholarship is very important for me to continue to study and achieve my future goal. I was born in a poor farming family in the countryside. In my family, there are five members, two brothers and three sisters and am a youngest. My mother name is Sok Neang. She is a farmer, 60 years old. My father name is Iy Vuthy. He is a cowboy (taking care of a few cows), 65 years old. My parents can earn around 5$ or less per day.
As the first-generation student in my family who growing up in a rural area community many obstacles have been stuck in my way of my life, but since I am the one who love learning, understanding the value of high education and how it would impact my life. I know that a college education would give me the opportunity to explore new ideas, improve critical thinking, and enhance my skills. It is the best gateway to better options and a chance to succeed in life. In my mind, I have always wanted to move on to college and finish well and feel the pride. Moreover, as a student in university not only provide me knowledge, but it will provide me with the tools and information to serve my community with excellence and make me difference due to my future career.
However, I graduated from high school since 2015. After one year to another until 2019, I still cannot go to university because of my family’s financial challenge (I even go to work in a garment factory to help earn some income), so it made me really upset and cry for many times. I saw my friends and my villagers go to study in city, it made me feel jealous and yet proud of them. But I don’t know how to do. What I can do just asking my-self the same questions every day that “Will I have a chance to study in university like other?” But it never got an answer. And I knew that it was impossible. I spent one year to be a seller/vendor (small store that sold soft drinks and children packed-snack food) in one of public school near my house called “KOKITHOM PRIMARY SCHOOL”. Then, I got a chance to be an ABC English Teacher in that school village. A month later, I can earn around forty dollars a month, but I still cannot go to study at university due to I can’t support myself for university fee, school supplies, accommodation and food. And it made me felt hopeless. But in my mind, I still believe that there are some ways that I can do and I never give up, I always told myself one day I will go to study at university.
Fortunately, my great change was coming because I had met one aunty in my village her mane is Pov. She told me that now Advanced Centre for Empowerment (ACE) provide accommodation for university student, then I applied to stay at ACE with unsure if I was selected. With great opportunity, I pass. ACE offer me a place to stay and could only find scholarship for me to improve my English, so that I can volunteer to work as an English Teacher at the slum community center and not only being as an English Teacher, but you will have a chance to develop yourself to be better person in the future especially being a good leader. I am currently staying at ACE, with little compensation allowance ACE could afford. I am looking to go to university this October 2019 with hope of scholarship opportunity.
Scholarship is very important for me to continue to study and achieve my future goal. I was born in a poor farming family in the countryside. In my family, there are five members, two brothers and three sisters and am a youngest. My mother name is Sok Neang. She is a farmer, 60 years old. My father name is Iy Vuthy. He is a cowboy (taking care of a few cows), 65 years old. My parents can earn around 5$ or less per day.
As the first-generation student in my family who growing up in a rural area community many obstacles have been stuck in my way of my life, but since I am the one who love learning, understanding the value of high education and how it would impact my life. I know that a college education would give me the opportunity to explore new ideas, improve critical thinking, and enhance my skills. It is the best gateway to better options and a chance to succeed in life. In my mind, I have always wanted to move on to college and finish well and feel the pride. Moreover, as a student in university not only provide me knowledge, but it will provide me with the tools and information to serve my community with excellence and make me difference due to my future career.
However, I graduated from high school since 2015. After one year to another until 2019, I still cannot go to university because of my family’s financial challenge (I even go to work in a garment factory to help earn some income), so it made me really upset and cry for many times. I saw my friends and my villagers go to study in city, it made me feel jealous and yet proud of them. But I don’t know how to do. What I can do just asking my-self the same questions every day that “Will I have a chance to study in university like other?” But it never got an answer. And I knew that it was impossible. I spent one year to be a seller/vendor (small store that sold soft drinks and children packed-snack food) in one of public school near my house called “KOKITHOM PRIMARY SCHOOL”. Then, I got a chance to be an ABC English Teacher in that school village. A month later, I can earn around forty dollars a month, but I still cannot go to study at university due to I can’t support myself for university fee, school supplies, accommodation and food. And it made me felt hopeless. But in my mind, I still believe that there are some ways that I can do and I never give up, I always told myself one day I will go to study at university.
Fortunately, my great change was coming because I had met one aunty in my village her mane is Pov. She told me that now Advanced Centre for Empowerment (ACE) provide accommodation for university student, then I applied to stay at ACE with unsure if I was selected. With great opportunity, I pass. ACE offer me a place to stay and could only find scholarship for me to improve my English, so that I can volunteer to work as an English Teacher at the slum community center and not only being as an English Teacher, but you will have a chance to develop yourself to be better person in the future especially being a good leader. I am currently staying at ACE, with little compensation allowance ACE could afford. I am looking to go to university this October 2019 with hope of scholarship opportunity.