My name is Leanghour Luch, and I was once a student at The Global Child (TGC).
Before coming to TGC, I lived in a small village in Siem Reap province with my mom. My family was very poor, and we were in a difficult situation. We couldn’t afford for me to continue my education past the sixth grade. Then, my neighbor told me about an organization that was looking for students who wanted to study but couldn’t afford to. I was immediately interested and asked him how to apply. He gave me an application form to complete. He told me that if I was selected, the school would call me.
Soon after, my mom got a call from TGC inviting us both for an interview with the staff. After the interview, I had to take an entrance exam. Fortunately, I passed! I was able to continue my studies, and that’s when I dreamed of going to medical school. I set two goals for myself: first, to pass the twelfth grade, and second, to pass the university entrance exam.
I started working toward my dream, step by step. I passed twelfth grade with a C, but I wasn’t so lucky with the university entrance exam—I failed. I decided to wait a year and try again. During that time, I found a job as a delivery person for a pharmacy in Siem Reap. I worked in the medicine storage room and learned a lot about different medications.
When the university entrance exam came around the next year, I was ready. I had a plan: I worked from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and then I studied every evening from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. all year long. This time, I passed the exam!
Without TGC, I don’t believe I would have been able to finish twelfth grade with a good score. I want to say a huge thank you to everyone at TGC—the sponsors, teachers, and staff—as well as my parents, for always encouraging me to be strong and to work hard.
A special thank you to Jilly and Gerry for sponsoring me to attend medical school in Phnom Penh, and to Teacher Dara for staying in touch with me even after I graduated from TGC. Thank you all so much.
Before
After