Meet Our Nursing Students

This article was originally published on Kari Grady-Grossman's blog on 08/18/2015

Meet our nursing students Chanthou, Sokhom, and Srey Pom! These motivated individuals attend International University and are 3 out of the 34 individuals who live at the Leadership Academy in Phnom Penh. All of these students hail from Tra Paing Chor Commune in the Aoral District of the Kampong Speu Province. This is a rural area where students often do not attend school beyond the 6th grade due to other responsibilities.   I feel extremely honored and privileged to be a part of their journey.

Chanthou: Chanthou was the Leadership Academy’s first female high school graduate to continue onto college. She continues to shine as she approaches graduation where she will receive her associates in nursing. Chanthou will graduate in December and take the International exam in January. When I asked Chanthou what her top three goals are she reported: teaching community members information on proper dietary habits, getting a job with a good salary, and going back to school to become a doctor. When Chanthou is at home during a holiday she enjoys helping her mother with her private practice and volunteering at the local primary school where she delivers books and teaches children proper sanitation practices.

Sokhom: With only one more year to go, Sokhom finds herself passionate about maternal and child health. With this passion her top three goals are to return to her village to serve her community, learn more about the health needs of her commune by interviewing expecting mothers, and pursue her bachelors of nursing with a focus in midwifery. When Sokhom receives a break, it’s likely you will find her in her village relaxing down by the stream with her family.

Srey Pom: Srey Pom is the youngest out of the nursing students but that doesn’t make her any less ambitious. She is excited to learn about how health practices affect her community and even more excited to put these practices into play. Srey Pom is also interested in providing health education related to nutrition and going back to school to become a doctor. After she receives her doctorate degree she wants to start her own practice.

While these amazing women may have different interests they all have one thing in common ... Their enthusiasm to serve fellow community members in their home villages.

Stay tuned for the next step of this project.