Thourn Thol
Hello! My name is Thourn, and I was born in 2000. I was born in Tropang Tek village, Pring Trum commune, Cherng Prey district, Kompong Cham province. I have three siblings, including myself. My brother’s name is Thea and he is 27 years old. My second sister’s name is Lisa and she is 13 years old. She is in the 7th grade at Pring Trum Secondary School. My youngest sister’s name is Linda and she is 4 years old.
I was born in a poor family. I worked as a cowherd to support my studies from primary school. I helped villagers to take care of their cows and they would give me some money. I had a dream to speak English like a foreigner. Sadly, there were no English schools in where I lived. Fortunately, Teacher Joji visited my hometown and he found out that many needed families in my area. In 2014, there was a group of TASSEL foreigners who went and visited my homeland. They gave medicine and clothes to my villagers; they also taught the students at Pring Trum Secondary School. And that was my first time to see a lot of foreigners with kind heart and love. Luckily, I was helped by Grandma Kim. With the help of a generous Grandma and Teacher Joji, I was brought to Battambang province, where I had the opportunity to study English and attend a private school. Everything was possible because I was sponsored by Grandma Kim.
Grandma Kim helped me with everything from food to school fees. I started to study English when I was 14 years old. I studied Khmer in the morning and in the afternoon, I studied English at TASSEL in the evening. After class, I helped teachers to clean classrooms and sometimes I asked teachers to teach their classes during the Vsee program and summer. I had been a TASSEL student for almost 10 years, starting from Pre-Level to Level 12, and TASSEL was the only place where I studied English.
After graduating from high school, I immediately got a chance to teach students in TASSEL Jeepang. I taught in Jeepang for two years, and after that, I moved to a new place called TASSEL Tataok. Tataok is a challenging place where there was poverty, divorce, and violence that are common. Tataok is the second place where I have learned so many things from the situation of the families. I have learned how to communicate with people, especially local people. I got to know more about poor people, hopeless children, and sick old people who need help. Most of the children have a single parent or just live with their grandparents. I was so fortunate that I had a chance to teach them English, spread love, and give hope to them.
I recently graduated from Build Bright University. I was born into a poor family, and I also did not have the opportunity to study English until I was 14 years old. As a TASSEL student and now a TASSEL teacher, I’m so glad that I can serve my country with all my heart, especially the hopeless and poor children who don’t have a chance to get English education in private schools. I will put my best effort into helping the poor so that they can be able to support themselves and the people surrounding them. Not only do children need help, but elderly people also need support from TASSEL teachers. I will do my best to spread love and hope to the poor and the hopeless. It’s easy to say the word “HOPE” but it’s hard to find. If you want to seek hope, please involved with TASSEL.
