Sothy started as a scholarship student with PLF in 2006 and then joined the team as an English teacher in 2013. Since 2019 he is working as the Tchey Field Director and also supporting the Boys Dorm. In this role, he oversees all PLF projects at the schools in that area and liaises between school administrations and PLF HQ. Sothy was one of PLF’s first University graduates and holds a Bachelor degree in International Relations.
Read about Sothy’s journey in his own words, but before you do, catch up on his previous posts.
One from all the way back in 2012 here and the other in 2017 here!
The journey of life has changed from year to year as a student becomes a teacher and moved from a teacher to a field director. It seems to be like a joke, I never imagined it would have been today, but it happened, and this is something that my life keeps going on.
I will try and continue what is now and in the future. Obviously, I don’t know what going on next and how this journey is going to be.
In 2006 I was a grade 6 student in Tchey Primary School and the PLF came during the middle of the school year for giving a school supplies such as books, clothes, shoes, bags, and other supplies. Nearly the end of grade 6, I wouldn’t know how I could get to secondary school because it’s almost 6 kilometers from my house. It was optimistic and socked for my parents and I. However, PLF planned to give the students the bikes for going to secondary school. If you could imagine, how feeling it could be! Finally, I was able at the school for grade 7.
The story started to be better and better once I reached grade 9 and joined the XO program in 2009. It was the first computer which I handed on and used it for the first time. Luckily, more activities increased from year to year. In 2010, 12 desktop computers arrived; I remember that my classmates got there for a whole day just to see the people who are setting up the stuff. The next day came, we ran to the computer and sit in front of the computer and felt “Wow! Amazing”. While we thought it was the most thing that we were interested in but in the next year 2011 we got “Media” into our class and we got crazy again with the Digital Cameras about shooting pictures and video. The interest in technology became bigger and bigger.
When I graduated from grade 12 at the end of 2011, I became a teacher for the kindergarten in my old primary school. I felt so excited to have a job as soon as I graduated and the most important was I could serve to transfer my knowledge to the place where I come from. Since becoming a teacher, the feeling started to be nervous and could imagine easy as what I have thought. However, it became better and better. I started to train a lot to be a teacher with Volunteer trainer, ACE teacher trainer, such good experiences which I could improve my skill to be more confident and teach well. So work starts to become smoother and well-operated with other co-workers.
When the program at Tchey spread, and more events started to come such as Ukulele, chess, and sports appear there. Time flies, I have been working as a teacher for 6 years seem like very fast. I really enjoyed with the kids and teenagers who always keep me on motivation by seeing how much they improve and enjoy studying.
Now it seems to be a huge transfer from teacher to field director. It’s making me really happy but with a nervous from the bottom of my heart! Also, the responsibility spreads big. The new challenges keep coming and face to solve those challenges with warm co-workers inside the office. But the problem is I miss all the lovely kids who are my students and sitting quietly with a little optimistic feeling with those students. Sometimes just go back to the photo bank for checking their photos. It’s worse and worse from the beginning but luckily I can still operate with Tchey School and physically still see those kids grow up with knowledge. With the working schedule, I feel better for morning shift working with Tchey teachers and students and afternoon work in the office. Somehow, I have more partners who can always help me by my side. So I get much more comfortable of work and the new environment. Christin, Vannak, Sherry, and Graham are my co-inside worker. They train me a lot about how to challenge new things such as Asana, Google Drive, Calendar, Gmail, how to manage the Boy’s dorm, Library, and other stuff which is my responsibilities for the next future.
I will work hard to continue what I can do and learn about the new lessons around the work as well as other developments. There may be more things in the future that cannot be seen. So, I’m happy with the work I’m working on in the present.
Finally, even though our goals are different, we are the ones who control it. Education! However, does not make a big difference to you during the time you are investing in it, but it has been proven to be very productive for your long-term effort. So set up your main goal, moving forward, and try to achieve it. Once you reach it in your hands for the future, you will understand what you were trying for. When you are done, don’t forget to give yourself a big smile and a cool party.
Sothy
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