Kimroth

"I'm the only girl in a family of three brothers, and my dad was so strict with me. He didn't want me to be dependent when I grew up, like so many other girls in Cambodia. He really believed in education. Many girls there decide to quit school and their parents let them, saying, 'You're going to depend on a husband anyway', but my dad was not like that. He made me stay in school, the same as he made my brothers. I was always upset with him because it seemed so unfair that I didn’t get the freedom my friends had. I used to ask my mom, ‘Why is he so mean?’ because I wanted to be out with my friends having fun. Instead, I always had to stay home and study. My dad would check on me to make sure I was reading my books and not sleeping.

“I finished school, and then my husband and I decided to come to the U.S. when I was 26 years old. When people heard what we were doing, they would ask, ‘Aren’t you afraid to move to a new world?’ but I wasn’t. My dad taught me to be strong, to work for what I want, to be humble, and to be brave. He taught me that nothing is impossible and that God is with me. The way he raised me gave me confidence. 

 “I earned a Bachelor of Business Admin degree in Finance from the University of Memphis and work as a Financial Analyst. My brothers have done well too.  My dad played a big part in making us who we are today, and I appreciate what he did now, but it took a long time for me to see it.”

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