As a first generation Cambodian American, I come from a household with parents that do not have a background in education. Growing up, my parents didn't give me the push and encouragement I needed to succeed in school, like many other parents usually do.
In high school, I was enrolled in English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. However, due to a lack of academic guidance at both home and school, I did not meet the college entrance requirements on time. I ended up having to attend night classes in order to meet the required subjects.
Getting situated with all things college-related was just as difficult. I felt alone in finding help on how to apply and pay for college. There were a few helpful staff that provided assistance, but I wished that it was easier to find help for someone like me.
Once I got into Cal State Long Beach, things only became more challenging. I started off navigating college by myself, but my language barrier mixed with the class workload made it difficult for me to perform well in school. There were many times where I felt like I couldn't go through it anymore, and I was beginning to think that college may not be for me.
Luckily, I was referred by an EOP (Educational Opportunity Program) staff member to participate in Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Student Ambassador Program on campus. The AAPI program is housed in the EOP office, with an emphasis in assisting Asian Americans. Students in the program play the role of student ambassadors to other Asian American youth while providing support for each other, since many of us struggle with language barriers, as well as lack academic support from home.
The AAPI Student Ambassador program offered different workshops and retreats that developed me as a professional. My public speaking skills and leadership skills improved. Being in the program prepared me for a part-time job as a college aid at Wilson High School in Long Beach. I landed the role through an AAPI program affiliate and the opportunity allowed me to spread the message of the importance of college to youth and explain how a bachelor's degree contributes to career success – information that are commonly passed down from parents, but was being heard for the first time by many first-generation students. I helped persuade these students and their families to pursue higher education and to not be content with just a high school diploma.
AAPI student ambassadors also worked with Khmer Girls in Action and the United Cambodian Community. We did college outreach to their youth, gave them a campus tour at CSULB and exposed them to the different types of college programs. It was an informative session on how to get to college. Similar to myself, many of these students have parents that came to the U.S. as refugees or immigrants with no college experience. Their parents want them to lead better lives but they don't know how or where to ask for help. As a student ambassador, I was able to step in and teach parents about how to get their kids to college as I guided families about meeting college requirements.
My association with AAPI stopped me from feeling alone. I realized that I was not the only one playing with the hand I was dealt with – there were many others who were also navigating their way through language barriers, lack of public understanding of our situation and lack of academic support at home. Given these circumstances, it is hard to succeed academically and I'm grateful to have gotten the support of other students in AAPI who shared the same first-generation, Asian American immigrant story as me. We all shared a common goal of rising above the circumstances that we were placed in and together we rose.
I graduated from CSULB in 2016 and today I'm working for the Cambodian Association of America as a life and relationship educator and as an assistant in the citizenship program. Education outreach for the Cambodian community is often overlooked in relation to other ethnicities in disadvantaged populations. Parents in the program seek my advice on how to be more involved in their children's path to college. Due to the language barrier and the lack of resources available for Cambodians, they consider me to be a rare and valuable resource for them because I teach them about financial aid, scholarships and the other ways that college can be a reality for their children.
Thanks to the AAPI Student Ambassador program, I reached my potential and became an active member in my community. The training I received as a student ambassador sharpened me to effectively reach out to younger people and give them proper guidance on getting a college degree that I wished I received growing up. AAPI has taught me that, with commitment, there is nothing we can't do. Education should be a priority for everyone because it is a powerful tool that will help us overcome our given circumstances.