Goal: Save Enough Money to Build a School in Cambodia
Cost: $15,000
How: Cut back on the chai lattes, snacks and other unnecessary spending
WHY:
My father was a distinguished teacher in Cambodia before the Khmer Rouge came into power. Once my family and I were resettled in Southern California, he continued to value education as a top priority. This value was instilled in my siblings and I growing up. Even when we were living below the poverty line, my father invested in books because he truly felt they were powerful and magical treasures.
My grandfather didn't allow my mother to attend high school because he wanted her home helping my grandmother with household duties. My mother wanted her children to have more options than she did. My mother literally counted and saved pennies so my brothers and sister could purchase notebook paper. When I graduated from high school, going to college was a no-brainer. The same can be said about grad school. They allowed me to study abroad overseas because they wanted me to have an enriched educational experience.
I want to honor my parents by building a school where they grew up: a rural village in Cambodia. In addition to a lack of electricity and roads, there is a lack of schools. My goal is to save up enough money in the next two to three years and have a school in my parent's honor be established there.
