10th annual khmer student coalition conference

2

Table of Contents

Welcome From CSA ................................................................................................... 3 About Kscc ................................................................................................................ 4 Csa Board ................................................................................................................... 4 Halima Lucas.............................................................................................................. 5 Schedule .................................................................................................................... 6 Keynote Speaker: Dr. Emad Rahim ........................................................................... 7 Breakout Sessions & Presenters ............................................................................... 8 Khmer College Advising ........................................................................................ 14 Elvis Of Cambodia: The Sinn Sisamouth Story ..................................................... 15 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................. 16 Sponsorships & Partnerships ................................................................................... 16 Campus Map .............................................................................................................. 17

3

Welcome from CSA

Sou’r Sdey! Welcome to the 10th Annual Khmer Student Coalition Conference! It is an honor for the Cambodian Student Association at the University of the Pacific to host this uniting event. This year’s theme is “Building Bridges”, named after a documentary put together by a Pacific alumna, Halima Lucas. During her time at Pacific, Hali-ma contributed tremendously to spreading awareness about the Cambodian Ameri-can identity and cultural understanding within our community. This year’s KSCC strives to shed light on these issues as well as to provide the skills and tools to help us become successful in the real world. This conference is structured to prepare us for those beginning steps. While not the sole focus, we also stress the importance of understanding our history, culture, and giving back to the community. By allowing us to connect with one another and “build bridges”, we are able to achieve these goals and lead a successful life. We hope you enjoy your time and build many bridges throughout the conference!

Sincerely,

CSA of UOP

4

The Khmer Student Coalition was created to unite Cambodian students throughout various college campuses. As of today, there are 14 colleges that participate in the coalition. KSCC is a special annual event for members to rally together and discuss issues unique to the Cambodian community in addition to networking. The Cambodian Student Association of the University of the Pacific has the honor of hosting the 10th annual Khmer Student Coali-tion Conference. Outreaching to the Stockton Community

Stockton is home to a large population of Cambodian Americans who immigrated to the U.S. during the Khmer Rouge. There is a cultural gap between many young Cambodian Americans and their parents that stems from a lack of awareness of past sufferings and cultural understanding. The conference will be an opportunity to engage members of the community to participate and share their experiences and struggles with others. Younger partici-pants—namely high school students—will be able to meet college students and learn about the college experience from a Cambodian American perspective, while college students will be able to network and receive information about the professional world. Goals and Purpose

There is often a focus on East Asian culture and identity, and the stories of other Asian cultures are left un-told. While the conference seeks to shed light on the Cambodian community, it is not strictly restricted to those that identify as Cambodian; it is open to anyone who is interested in learning more about Cambodian culture. The theme for the 10th annual Khmer Student Coalition Conference is “Building Bridges”. The conference aims to create lasting and meaningful connections between individuals across different age groups and backgrounds. It is more than just a networking tool. The goal is to engage students with a diverse range of individuals and encourage them to think criti-cally about issues that affect the Cambodian community. The conference will also provide participants with resources and opportunities to advance academically and professionally.

CSA Board

Cathy Khoonsrivong is a junior at the University of the Pacific and is study-ing Music Therapy.

Vida Chea is cur-rently a junior at the University of the Pacific study-ing Mechanical Engineering

Cabral is a junior at the University of the Pacific studying English with a minor in Ethnic Studies.

Jennifer Khin is a sophomore at the University of the Pa-cific studying Eng-lish, and is interested in pursuing medicine.

Davin Kaing is a junior at the University of the Pacific ma-joring in Bio-engineering.

About KSCC

5

Halima Lucas

Halima Lucas is a 23-year-old filmmaker from Stockton, California. She is second eldest of

eight siblings and her unique familial experiences are a huge inspiration in her story telling.

Her goal as a writer and director is to tell stories from commonly misunderstood people in

society with the hope of building bridges of understanding and empathy. She is currently in

her second year at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts and pursing a Masters of Fine Arts in

Film and Television Production.

“I am so honored to have my film be part of the 2014 Khmer Student Coalition Conference.

The passion and bold leadership it takes to coordinate such an event like this inspires me and

I hope you will be inspired too. As a filmmaker, I raise my voice through storytelling. My

hope for everyone participating in the conference is to use your unique voice in your own

unique way to build bridges within the community and with new allies.”

6

8:00 am-9 am

REGISTRATION Location: Grace Covell

9:00 am-9:50 am

Opening Ceremony Location: UC Ballroom

10:00 am –10:50 am Session 1

11:00 am -11:50 pm Session 2

Defining Success

Location: UC Ballroom

What is it Like in the Real World?


12:00pm-12:50pm ~LUNCH~

Location: Grace Covell

1:00pm-1:50pm Session 3

Feature: BUILDING BRIDGES


2:00pm- 4:00pm Session 4 (2:00 pm - 2:50 pm) & Session 5 (3:00 pm - 3:50 pm)

Growing Up in America

Location: DUC 217

Cultural Dancing


The Art of Bassac

Location: Janet Leigh Theater

Music of the Past

Location: Weber 103

Traditional Games

Location: WPC Lawn

I Am Khmer

Location: President’s Room

YMCA Cambodia Project—A Cambodia Journey

Location: Weber 102

Khmer Women: Past, Present, and Future

Location: Regent’s Room

You’re Smart... for a Khmer

Location: Weber 101

4:00pm- 5:00pm ~DINNER~


5:00pm-6:00pm ~CLOSING~

8:00pm-10:00pm KSC’s Got Talent


Schedule

7

Dr. Emad Rahim is a Cambodian American survivor of the Killing Fields whose life was turned into a

short documentary, “Against the Odds”, crafted into the leadership book, S.A.L.T., and depicted in the

theater production “Tales from the Salt City”, written and directed by internationally acclaimed direc-

tor and award-winning playwright, Ping Chong.

While living in Brooklyn NY as a refugee, Rahim was shot during a block party and was forced to re-

locate to Upstate NY where his family lived in public housing and placed on welfare. He grew up in an

economically challenged community, experienced severe abuse, and got involved with gangs and sub-

stance abuse. Like many immigrant children living in these poor conditions, he struggled with vio-

lence, identity, and education. He overcame these adversities going on to earn a doctorate and became

an award-winning educator, writer, and entrepreneur.

Rahim has been featured in CEO Magazine, Forbes Magazine, Huffington Post, IntelligentHQ, and the

Rutgers Humanist, in addition to BBC and PBS programs. He was recently recognized by the United

Nations Foundation as an Empact100 Honoree, participated in an invite-only entrepreneurship sympo-

sium at the White House, and received a Congressional Award. Rahim currently serves as the En-

dowed Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Oklahoma State University and Visiting Scholar at Rutgers Uni-

versity. Follow him on Twitter @DrEmadRahim”.

Keynote Speaker:

Dr. Emad Rahim

8

Breakout Sessions & Presenters

Catherina Nou

Catherina "Cat" Nou graduated from the University of California at Da-vis with a degree in Psychology and Asian American Studies and later obtained a Master of Arts in Higher Education at Sacramento State Uni-versity. Nou currently serves as the Vice Chair of the SEARAC Board of Directors and is a member of the Cultural Advisory Council for the Cali-fornia State Fair/Cal Expo. She is the co-founder of the Khmer Youth of Modesto (KYOM) and is the daughter and sister of refugees from Cam-bodia.

Heang Chan Heang Chan graduated with a joint MBA/MA in Education at Stanford University in 2010 and a B.S. in Business Administration with a concen-tration in Accounting at the University of the Pacific in 2002, summa cum laude. Chan is one of the top mortgage originators of Wells Fargo Home Mortgage.

Callyan Y Callyan Y is a Higher Education Professional in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is currently a University Admissions Specialist for San Fran-cisco State University. She is UOP alumna (UOP ’07) born, raised and educated in Stockton, CA. With a shared passion for all things Cambodi-an and a need for cultural identity at University of the Pacific, she along with friends Samnang Bou and Varaxy Yi reactivated the Cambodian Student Association at University of the Pacific in 2007 and made CSA a small club with great impact! In her spare time, this self-proclaimed “Foodie” can be found enjoying great ethnic foods with friends and fami-ly.

9


Dr. Kuy Ky Dr. Kuy Ky arrived to the United States from Cambodia as refugee on

September 7, 1979 with his family. Ky received his B.S. in Biology from

the University of the Pacific in 1992 and went on to receive his dental edu-

cation from the University of the Southern California in 1996.

Kelley Pheng Kelley Pheng is a Cambodian American spoken word artist & community activist born in Modesto, CA. She is also a 4th year Psychology undergrad-uate at Cal State Long Beach as well as the current Treasurer for the Cam-bodian Student Society of CSULB, the oldest Cambodian student organiza-tion in the US. Phenge has been a featured artist for many events and ben-efits, most notably performing for Common Ground in Santa Ana, CA. Her work can be found at: www.facebook.com/kelleyphengpoetry and www.youtube.com/kayphunk

Helena de Crespo

Born in Barcelona, Spain, and educated in Bristol, England, Helena de Cre-

spo entered the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London for her theatri-

cal training at the age of 15 under full scholarship. She was also awarded

the drama diploma from the University of London, and has many awards

from the London Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Now a resident in

the United States, de Crespo has performed, directed, produced and acted

in theatre, film, TV, and radio in 16 different countries, having toured ex-

tensively in Europe, North and South America, and Southeast-Asia.

10


Mayura Ouk

Mayura Ouk is a second generation Cambodian American from Roches-

ter, Minnesota. Ouk embarked on “A Cambodia Journey,” –a journey

that gave her the opportunity to learn from the country in which her par-

ents are from. With that experience, Ouk discovered her passion in life:

teaching. Ouk is currently in her final year at the Fashion Institute of

Design & Merchandising (FIDM) where she plans to use her talents to

bring awareness of Cambodia’s poverty.

Monica Ambalal

Monica Ambalal was born and raised in Stockton, and began her aca-

demic career at Delta College before continuing on to Pacific, the Uni-

versity of New Orleans (BA), CSU Long Beach (MA), and UC Davis

(MA) to study both musicology and ethnomusicology. She has presented

at national conferences including: The Society for Ethnomusicology, and

The American Studies Association. She was a committee member for the

Northern California chapter of the Society of Ethnomusicology and the

Society of American Music. She recently completed a grant project in

connection with the Stockton Arts Commission to create an archive for

the Stockton Symphony. She currently teaches music history at Delta

College. As a musician she teaches cello and performs as a member of

the San Francisco Civic Symphony.

Pete Pin

Pete Pin is a Cambodian American Brooklyn-based photographer. Born in

the Khao-I-Dang refugee camp on the border of Cambodia and Thailand

and raised in California, Pin received his B.A. in Political Science at the

University of California at Berkeley where he graduated magna cum laude

and was awarded the Outstanding Honors Thesis Award. He went on to

study documentary photography at the International Center of Photography

in Manhattan and interned at the photo department of TIME Magazine. He

is currently an adjunct faculty at the New School in New York.

11


Phanith Rama Sovann

Phanith Rama Sovann is a Cambodian American singer/songwriter born in

a refugee camp in Thailand during the Khmer Rouge Regime. She has

been singing since age two and has been a worship leader for over twelve

years, performing throughout Southern California and in other parts of the

country within the past four years. In addition to music, Sovann also has a

deep love for humanitarian work, especially serving children in need

around the world. Sovann is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Inter-

cultural Studies with an emphasis in International Development and Urban

Studies.

Phatry Derek Pan

Phatry Derek Pan has over 10 years of experience in community develop-

ment and digital media. From 1998 through 2003, Pan was an active stu-

dent leader at the University of Washington in Seattle, where he organized

dozens of cultural events, founded an arts organization called Rajana Soci-

ety, and was featured in an ABC Nightline special for holding a candle-

light vigil on the 25th anniversary of the fall of Phnom Penh. A recipient

of the Fulbright-Hayes Scholarship in June 2008, Pan earned a post-

graduate certificate in the Asia Pacific Leadership Program at the East-

West Center, in Honolulu, Hawai’i. Currently, Pan is the CEO and Presi-

dent of Khmerican, Inc., a leading news company that provides coverage

on the Cambodian diaspora.

Ron Ung

Ron Ung is a second generation Cambodian American. Born and raised in

Long Beach, California, Ung graduated from the University of California at

Los Angeles with a degree in Asian American Studies. Throughout the

course of his years at UCLA, he learned that he was not alone in the struggle

against his identity. In November 2011, he partook in the first service-

learning and cultural exchange trip to Cambodia and returned with a full

understanding of his true character and fundamental role in society. Ung

succeeded in building a foundation for the YMCA Cambodia Project –a pro-

ject that not only focused on saving the street children, but also on helping

others embrace their roots. Since then, he has been the project’s head Pro-

gram Director.

12


Samnang Bou

Samnang Bou, (UOP '07), is a Accounting/Finance professional in the finan-

cial services industry. She currently holds title as Vice President, Controller

and directs the strategic plan and implementation of the Accounting/Finance

department of an FDIC insured financial institution headquartered in Oak-

land, CA. She is a 1st generation college graduate which she holds as one of

her important achievements. In her spare time, she enjoys studying khmer

linguistics and aspires to teach the subject matter one day.

Seak Smith

Seak Smith was born to a Khmer Surin mother and a Cambodian father

who survived the Khmer Rouge regime. The eldest of five children, Seak

spent most of her childhood living in the housing projects just minutes

outside of downtown Los Angeles. Seak is the founder and Co-Director of

the first ever Cambodian Music Festival (CMF). The first event took place

on August 3, 2014 in Hollywood at the historic Ford Theatres. The 8-hour

long festival featured 14 artists/bands from across the United States onto

one stage. They garnered extensive media coverage from the LA Times,

LA Weekly, and CTN. Continuing on a global scale, Seak founded Seak

Entertainment & Media Inc. Seak EMI aims to bridge artists in the US and

overseas to collaborate on music projects. For more info please visit:

www.cambodianmusicfestival.com

Sokheang Khen Sokheang Khen was born and raised in Stockton, California. Last year, she graduated from University of Pacific during the spring of 2014. She has a passion for teaching and enjoy all forms of art. She likes to draw, paint, and work with clay. She is currently teaching at Oakwood Elementary School. With the competitive job market, she is grateful to have a classroom of her own.

13


Sophaline Mao

Sophaline Mao is a 1.5 generation Cambodian American born in the Khaol

Dang Refugee Camp, but raised entirely in the United States. Sophaline

attended San Francisco State University and earned a B.A. in Asian-

American Studies. Upon completing her undergraduate studies, Mao en-

tered the workforce and gained hands-on professional experience working

for companies such as Wells Fargo, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, and Bi-

oMarin Pharmaceuticals. Mao continued her education part-time at the

University of San Francisco to complete a dual-Master degree program

earning both a Master of Arts in Asia-Pacific Studies and Master of Busi-

ness Administration this year. Currently, Mao works in Global Sales Oper-

ations at Salesforce.com Inc. in San Francisco.

Varaxy Yi

Varaxy Yi is a first generation Cambodian American college student from

Modesto, California. She is a 2003 Gates Millennium Scholar recipient and

is currently in her final year of coursework at the University of Denver in

the Higher Education’s Doctoral program. Varaxy is also a 2008 alumni of

the University of the Pacific, holding degrees in Business Administration

and English. She and two other Khmer Pacific students reinvigorated the

Cambodian Student Association, which became known as the “little club

that could”. She credits the vital experiences of working within the organi-

zation for sparking an interest in exploring her identity as a Cambodian

American woman.

14

Mission Statement:

The purpose of this page is to provide academic resources and information about employment and in-

ternship opportunities to the Khmer communities in the U.S. with cultural competency. We are the re-

sources for our community and it is our responsibility to provide support, resources, and assistance.

Moreover, our success is insignificant if it does not impact our community in a positive way. I urge eve-

ryone to share this page and also encourage everyone to contribute to the content of this page through

ideas and writings.

For more information, visit: https://www.facebook.com/khmercollegeadvising

Khmer College Advising

15

Elvis of Cambodia: The Sinn Sisamouth Story, is a docu-

mentary, which examines the power of a music legend and

his legacy years after his execution at the hands of the

Khmer Rouge during the Cambodian genocide reveals

Sisamouth’s influences in Cambodians. With the beauty of

his golden voice and sincerity of his music, Sisamouth con-

tinues to move many generations of Cambodians while

serving as a commonality for the diaspora of Cambodians

across the world. This documentary recalls the magnificent

and vibrant Cambodia of yesteryear. Those who utilizes

Sisamouth’s and his contemporaries’ glorious past, show

their honor to Sisamouth through their efforts in propelling

Cambodia into a better future.

The documentary begins with an exploration of Sisam-

outh’s humble life in Stueng Treng province and continues

through to his time in Phnom Penh as a medical student,

where he pickups singing as a hobby. National Radio dis-

covers Sisamouth’s unique talent and adds him as a regular

to their program. Sisamouth unique voice and style quickly becomes widespread throughout Cambo-

dia, eventually leading him to become one of the most popular musical artist.

Sisamouth’s biography and Cambodia’s recent history serves as context for this documentary. Incor-

porating information from Khmers in the present, who possess a great amount honor and respect for

Sisamouth brings out the power of this documentary. Stories of their daily lives and survival is instru-

mental in revealing Sisamouth’s everlasting impact on the lives of Cambodians. The documentary

frame its story through Khmers, who deep appreciation of Sisamouth and his music dictate their inten-

tion in keeping his legacy alive. Elvis of Cambodia: The Sinn Sisamouth Story potentially exposes an

importance of a country and culture, which nearly meets the precipice of total demise. Elvis of Cam-

bodia: The Sinn Sisamouth Story further reveals the country’s ability to position itself back to rele-

vance over the course of thirty-five years through economic growth, political power, arts, and culture.

For more information, please visit their site at: www.elvisofcambodia.com

“Elvis of Cambodia: The Sinn

Sisamouth Story”

16

This conference was made possible with the

help of these individuals:

Sondra Roeuny

Dr. Gregory Rohlf

Dr. Xiaojing Zhou

Amanda Elrod

Jennifer Torres

Leslie Rudbeck

Raquel Rodriguez

Halima Lucas

Masrshea Pratt

Cynthia Lau

Career Resource Center

Alpha Phi Omega

Building Bridges: Making connections one step at a time.

Acknowledgements:

Sponsorships & Partnerships

17

Campus Map

10th annual khmer student coalition conference

Documents