PLF GRADUATES
HALL OF FAME!
NIN – Information Technology
Nin is from the Knar catchment rural areas and was a PLF student since primary school – and hasn’t stopped learning since! He went on to study Information Technology at the University of South East Asia in Siem Reap on a PLF scholarship, and after graduating he passed the exam to become a government school teacher. Nin then took his first masters in Education at the National Institute of Education, which he completed in 2024, and has now commenced his second masters in Computer Science at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, which he is studying at the weekends while also working full time.
Such a thirst for learning, and inspirational story for younger students to hear!
“My big news is that I just started a new teaching job at the government New Generation Technical school in Pouk. It’s been very busy already but it’s great, I really enjoy it. There was a lot of administrative instructions, and a lot of meetings to prepare for the new school year, and it was very complicated, but I did it. The management and teachers are very friendly. The students work hard to learn and are very disciplined. A lot of the students are from poor families. I am teaching computer programming as a vocational training major, so students will leave the school qualified to apply for jobs directly.
Getting this job is amazing because there is a lot of competition for government jobs, especially for the New Generation school. But I think it is my talent and my experience that impressed the government. Because during my bachelor degree, I also worked for PLF as IT teacher at Knar Village Learning Center. So that experience is one reason that I qualify for the job.
I am very happy, and my family too because they always dream they want me to be a teacher.
I am from a poor family and I have seven siblings. My parents are farmers. My siblings only could reach Grade 7 because they had to help my family with farming. For me, I always loved to study and my parents encouraged me, even though they didn’t have money for me. With support from PLF, I could finish primary school.
But when I reached Grade 7, I decided to drop out of school because I wanted to help my family financially. I started to work in construction but it was so hard. Because I was still small and my body was not strong enough to do that work. I worked for a month then I started to think, if I don’t go back to school, I’ll never get a better job or salary in the future.
So I returned to school, with my family’s encouragement and more support from PLF. That really motivated me. I studied hard and I got good grades. My favourite subject was math. So that’s why I decided to study computer science and also I like using computer because I had a role model from Mr. Chamran who was also a computer teacher at KVLC.
I loved computers straight away. Computers are so important for life, for Cambodia. Right now we live in the technological age and we need to know about computers because everything in life and a lot of jobs we are doing with a computer. So the computer is very important for us to know and to learn every day.
For me, being a computer teacher is a great job because I can support myself and my family. And I have the opportunity to share my knowledge with the young people, so that they can use it for their future life. This also helps my country increase its human resources.
Nin teaching in the KVLC IT lab
Nin speaking at a PLF mentorship session
I take part in PLF’s mentorship program, to share my experience with the younger students. We have to know that education needs time to achieve so we have to motivate ourselves to keep moving forward. Sometimes you will feel that you weren’t receiving anything from it. But you have to know it will provide its benefits over a long period of time. Like me, I learn many different subjects and three different degrees. I still want to study new things even if I have this new job here. We have to motivate ourselves to keep moving. We can say that learning is a process, or investment that takes a long time to receive the results.”
There are many more students just like Nin with great academic promise for higher education, but lacking the financial ability to get there.
Donating to our scholarship fund ensures they can access college, and go on to employment opportunities that change the trajectory of not only their lives, but their families’ and communities’ too.
Make their dreams come true – and contribute to a brighter and more equitable Cambodia!