Cohort Stories: Meet Dara
vol. 6, no. 30—guest post by Dara Khin
I am proud to come from a Cambodian background with hard working ethics. Most Cambodians I know come from similar backgrounds; growing up and living as refugees. As a result, all the Cambodians I’ve met have one thing in common, working hard. They kept pushing until they couldn’t push anymore. My parents are a prime example as some of the most hardworking people I know and I couldn’t imagine what they’ve faced. Their hard work pushes me to work harder and overcome anything I face.
I absolutely love everything to do with technology but the one thing that I admire with what we’ve done in technology is the ability to stay connected. COVID has been hard on all of us which forced us to isolate inside, but technology allowed us to stay connected together from virtually anywhere. I’ve met new and interesting people that have become great friends of mine and rekindled with some old friends. Although quarantined, my friends and I were able to make the best out of the worst because of the technology we have today. Frankly, if it wasn’t for the social platforms built by software engineers, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
I hope to one day contribute to these technologies that will make it easier and better for people to connect.
A major motivator for me is my desire to make my parents proud. Having immigrated to America as a refugee, my father did not have the privilege I have right now. As a kid from Cambodia, my father’s immigration to America was only the beginning for him because he was thrown into a completely new culture without speaking a word of English. When my father was older, he married my mother from Cambodia and she faced the same obstacles as my father did. As a survivor of the Khmer Rouge, my mother faced more adversity than anyone I know, and having to immigrate to America was a demanding process. Together, my parents worked hard day and night to provide for each other, and eventually, my brothers and me. Their experiences, hardships and mental fortitude inspire me to stay motivated to pursue my future career as a Software Engineer.
