A Life-changing Opportunity for Sophin

To help our scholars improve their English, as well as to stay connected with them, CATALYST has asked students in year one and year two to keep an English journal which they send to us through Facebook Messenger. The program provides small gifts as an incentive to the top three students who have written the most journal entries each month. 

Since our year three students have a bigger workload at school, CATALYST has asked them to write one essay a month. In October one of our our students, Sophin, decided not to write an essay in English, but instead wrote a long reflection in Khmer showing her appreciation for the program and the donors for giving her the precious life-changing gift of education. Here is what she wrote:

“I am the luckiest person to have been in the CATALYST program. I have received sufficient support for my studies. I had never imagined I could afford tertiary education since my family is so poor. 

The knowledge I have gained in the CATALYST program has exceeded my expectations. I have been able to attend many trainings which have built capacity in all of us CATALYSTAS. I still remember crying in the Self Confidence & Communication Training when I was encouraged to open up and speak from my heart. 

Before joining this program, I wasn’t able to explore the outside world and I didn’t have a broad general knowledge, so my thinking and expression was very limited. But I’m different now! With all the trainings that I have experienced, I have become a strong and brave person who can express and share her opinion much better both at work and school. Not everyone receives such a life-changing opportunity like this!

A once destitute country-side girl has become an outstanding student in the class at Vanda Accounting Institute and has been promoted as head of teller at Reach Thisak Micro-Finance. I wouldn’t have come this far without the care and generous support of the program and all the donors. I will continue to study hard and I will not let you down. I will use my knowledge to help develop my country as much as I can. Thank you so much!”