Graduate flying high
SORIK Rath Mong is a first-class honours business graduate from KDU University College, who faced challenges while growing up in Cambodia.
Known as Lyly, she emerged as one of the recipients of the Chevening scholarship this year.
The Chevening award is the UK government’s global scholarship programme offered by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. Successful scholars pursue a wide range of Master’s programmes at top UK universities, with the aim of returning to make a significant contribution in a number of priority areas.
“When I applied for this scholarship, I was still working at Dell Technologies as a treasury advisor for the Asia Pacific Japan Region and supporting both Asia and half of the US region.
“So, I had to work quite late at night and spent my weekends completing my application,” she said.
She received a Joint ECM Libra Foundation-KDU University College Asean Scholarship to complete her three-year undergraduate degree in Business specialising in Economics and Finance at KDU.
“Seeing that English was not my first language, my first semester at KDU was very challenging,” she added.
She said it was stressful in the initial stages as she had to go the extra mile to maintain her results in order to retain her scholarship.
“Thanks to the guidance and support from my lecturers and friends at KDU, I have grown and learned so much in just three years,” she said.
Obtaining a degree and working at a multinational company are huge achievements in her life, she added.
“I am honoured to call myself a KDU graduate,” she said.
KDU University College head of School of Business Assoc Prof Dr Brian Wong said the institution is proud of Sorik’s success.
After completing her master’s degree, Sorik plans to return to her home and work with the Cambodian government to digitise the traditional data management to facilitate both public and private sectors, in order to drive better economic and business strategies for the nation.
“Success doesn’t happen by chance. It takes strategic actions in the right direction to get there.
“Determined people always work hard to achieve what they want under any circumstances and most importantly they react positively to failure!” she said.