IMMIGRATED TO THIS COUNTRY TO SEE THIS DAY! - JUNE 9-11, 2016

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• published: 13 Jun 2016
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☀☀☀☀☀☀☀☀☀☀☀ OPEN ME! Hi everyone! Over the last couple of days, I was able to celebrate the achievement of graduating from the University of Washington with my family and friends. I majored in Communications with a minor in Nutritional Sciences. My family immigrated here 19 years ago from their beloved homeland of Cambodia so that I could have this opportunity to get an education. My family’s story goes back many generations. My grandfather was killed in the Cambodian Civil War because the Khmer Rouge considered anyone apart of the intellectual group to be a threat. Being a teacher, my grandfather lost his life far too early – unable to even witness his own daughters grow out of the toddler years. Having lost her husband, my grandmother was forced to work across the countryside for months straight in the fields to make ends meet. This left her with the hard decision to leave her daughters with relatives in the city even though this meant that she would spend a lifetime unable to get those years back. My mother grew courage at the age of five to fend for herself and to find food through various work – though some days she would be left empty handed. She wasn’t presented with the opportunity to be in a rich environment where she could study and further educate herself. When my mother was pregnant with me, she dreamed of coming to America in order to pursue the American Dream. Finally, my family immigrated here when I was a toddler. Leaving everything my mother had ever known in Cambodia, she came to America and worked multiple minimum wage jobs, 80 hours weeks, jobs that discriminated against her because she is a female or because she’s an immigrant – you name it, she has been marginalized in every way possible. Though my mother worked 16 hours day, I never felt that my childhood was every robbed from any potential experiences. I was put into extracurricular activities. My mom would bring me to my friend’s house when she could. She would host birthday parties for me. She would help me with my homework. She would always have money for me whenever I needed to pay for something in school. She never let me suffer because she took all of the pain that comes with being a poor immigrant with little English and decided to do whatever was in her abilities to change my fate. I graduated from high school with almost straight A’s. I applied to college during my senior year because I knew thats what everyone wanted from me. My first year at UW, I had never been so depressed and lost in my whole life. I had the baggage of immense pressure on my shoulders to not fail and to make my family proud but truth is, I didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t have guidance. I was the first person to go the college and I didn’t really want to. Over the last couple of years, I went through a rollercoaster ride where I wanted to drop out and go to a trade school. I honestly don’t know what stopped me at the time, but it must have been the unconditional love that I received from family. Without them, I would be no one. Thank you God for my family. Thank you God for being my light during the dark times. Thank you God for allowing me the opportunity to receive an education – the most powerful weapon to change the world. Please watch my vlogs and get a glimpse on how blessed I am with all the beautiful people in my life. Thank you to my family, my boyfriend, my friends, and God that have been there through all the tears, late nights, early mornings in my undergrad experience. I am so blessed to say that I am now a UW Alumni. ☀☀☀☀☀☀☀☀☀☀☀ SOCIAL MEDIA- → https://www.instagram.com/sup_pyt/ →Faceboook: https://www.facebook.com/sup.pyt →Snapchat: SUP-PYT