Computer, Cambodia, and politics. Can you see a correlation between these words? Well, I can. These three words adequately describe my world, dreams and aspirations. Let me show you now how the three seemingly irrelevant words can connect to describe me.
My family moved to Cambodia in 2007, when I was 11 years old. Yes, Cambodia, the country of Angkor Wat, one of the former seven wonders of the world, the country where the lifeline of Southeast Asia, the Mekong River, flows, the country of killing fields. I spent my whole adolescence this unique developing country, going through changes and growing together.
Like many boys, I grew up with computer games. I often spent time playing computer games such as Starcraft, Warcraft, Age of Empires, Sid Meier's Civilization... I played them all. I was never the best gamer, so my lack of gaming skills increased my computer usage, and the more time I spent time on the computer, the more my interest in computers grew. Internet, Word processor, Excel, Powerpoint, and numerous other software that I didn't even know about came into my sight, and I wanted to know what they were and learn to use them. By the age of seven, I had learned to use them proficiently. As I grew up, instead of playing computer games, I built my own computer with separate components in grade 8, started developing websites for school events in grade 9, and took computer classes in school. I just love computer.
Now, that shows quite a bit about the two words, but doesn't quite explain politics and the coherence between the words. It's coming. Just be patient and bear with me.
Living in Cambodia, I naturally studied its modern history. It is truly eventful. It was colonized by the French, achieved independence, then went through a coup d'ĂŠtat led by a general, who was overthrown by the Khmer Rouge leading to the killing fields, and it now has a prime minister who has been in power for 27 years, without much changes in the government. A promising country expected to prosper like no other country did in the 1960s, was destroyed by the few unelected leaders. My friend's grandmother, a Khmer Rouge victim, told me during the interview for my school assignment about the effect of Khmer Rouge.
"All of my brothers and sisters were killed in front of my eyes during the Khmer Rouge era. Bad ruling ruined not only mine, but lives of thousands of people in Cambodia."
Imagine how devastated you would be losing all of your family in front of your eyes. These two short sentences were enough to show me the significance of politics and make me feel impelled to go into the world of politics.
Can you see the importance of the three words for me? You probably do. Let me connect them together for you.
I have planned out my future myself already. I will study what I love, Computer Science, in university, get a job in cyber security industry, and establish my own venture business and taste success. However, I will not stop there, for my ultimate goal is, using established foundation from all the experience, to jump into politics, giving service to others, to never let anything like what happened in Cambodia again. I aspire to make these plans come true, and I know that I will.
My family moved to Cambodia in 2007, when I was 11 years old. Yes, Cambodia, the country of Angkor Wat, one of the former seven wonders of the world, the country where the lifeline of Southeast Asia, the Mekong River, flows, the country of killing fields. I spent my whole adolescence this unique developing country, going through changes and growing together.
Like many boys, I grew up with computer games. I often spent time playing computer games such as Starcraft, Warcraft, Age of Empires, Sid Meier's Civilization... I played them all. I was never the best gamer, so my lack of gaming skills increased my computer usage, and the more time I spent time on the computer, the more my interest in computers grew. Internet, Word processor, Excel, Powerpoint, and numerous other software that I didn't even know about came into my sight, and I wanted to know what they were and learn to use them. By the age of seven, I had learned to use them proficiently. As I grew up, instead of playing computer games, I built my own computer with separate components in grade 8, started developing websites for school events in grade 9, and took computer classes in school. I just love computer.
Now, that shows quite a bit about the two words, but doesn't quite explain politics and the coherence between the words. It's coming. Just be patient and bear with me.
Living in Cambodia, I naturally studied its modern history. It is truly eventful. It was colonized by the French, achieved independence, then went through a coup d'ĂŠtat led by a general, who was overthrown by the Khmer Rouge leading to the killing fields, and it now has a prime minister who has been in power for 27 years, without much changes in the government. A promising country expected to prosper like no other country did in the 1960s, was destroyed by the few unelected leaders. My friend's grandmother, a Khmer Rouge victim, told me during the interview for my school assignment about the effect of Khmer Rouge.
"All of my brothers and sisters were killed in front of my eyes during the Khmer Rouge era. Bad ruling ruined not only mine, but lives of thousands of people in Cambodia."
Imagine how devastated you would be losing all of your family in front of your eyes. These two short sentences were enough to show me the significance of politics and make me feel impelled to go into the world of politics.
Can you see the importance of the three words for me? You probably do. Let me connect them together for you.
I have planned out my future myself already. I will study what I love, Computer Science, in university, get a job in cyber security industry, and establish my own venture business and taste success. However, I will not stop there, for my ultimate goal is, using established foundation from all the experience, to jump into politics, giving service to others, to never let anything like what happened in Cambodia again. I aspire to make these plans come true, and I know that I will.
