In an effort to prepare our students for successful careers, we don’t only support them through university scholarships but also language school enrollment and professional mentorship. Our student Chamnan, who is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, aspires to dedicate his life to working with children in rural communities, as he himself grew up orphaned and in extreme poverty. He understands the importance of providing a safe and nurturing environment for underprivileged children, as it can have an everlasting, positive impact on their lives.
After helping him land an internship position at the Phnom Penh Autism Center last year, we organized yet another internship for the 24-year-old student. This time around, Chamnan volunteered as a reading ambassador for the Asia Foundation, traveling to low-income communities in rural areas to prepare activities and read stories to little children. This enabled him to both follow his passion in working for children, as well as building a network and expanding his skillset by working closely with social workers and other volunteers.
On top of supporting him through his Bachelor’s program and helping Chamnan with covering his living expenses and rent, we recently encouraged him to register for English classes at the Australian Center for Education. English language proficiency has become an essential requirement for jobs in Cambodia, especially in the non-profit sector, and it is crucial for Chamnan to improve his foreign language skills to prepare for future job applications.
Read from Chamnan himself below!
Hello everybody! My name is Chamnan.
I want to tell you some news that happened in my life since last year. I am now an English student. I am studying at ACE because I want to improve my English. I think that my language level was not good enough. But it is important for me to be good at English conversations because it is very important in my country for things like studying, work, and research. At first, I started studying in level 1. But then my teachers told me that I can proceed to level 3 because I already improved a lot.
I would also like to tell you about my internship. At the end of last year, I volunteered for the Let’s Read organization. After an orientation weekend and a few workshops, 8 other volunteers and I started travelling to the countryside to read books in remote areas to poor children there. My team was very kind and I felt very welcomed. I enjoyed reading stories to the children, because the children there are illiterate, so they were very excited that volunteers like us came to read books for them. The main reason why I felt so happy about this internship is that I love helping children in poor areas. I tried my best to inspire them because I think if they are eager to learn and develop a love of reading books, then they will get a lot of knowledge in the future and feel motivated to help the whole world.
Once again, I want to say thank you to all of you for supporting my life and my English school. I wish you all the best!
Bye Bye,
Chamnan