Hello

My immigration story began the morning I knelt in front of my parents with my brother beside me before leaving Cambodia—a final act of respect and goodbye. That moment held pain, longing, and uncertainty. It was the day I went from being at home to becoming an immigrant. When I arrived in the United States in February 2007, everything felt unfamiliar. My teenage years quickly became defined by struggles—loneliness, bullying, financial hardship, and feeling like I didn’t belong. I lost the sense of what it meant to be a teenager. Back home, I had friends and laughter. In the U.S., I had silence. My family became my only community, holding each other through both comfort and hardship. I remember hearing my mom cry at night, missing the life we left behind. At school, I often felt invisible—or worse, targeted. I was mocked for my accent, reduced to stereotypes, and at times, made to feel ashamed of who I was. At home, we struggled financially. We lived simply, with almost nothing, doing what we could to get by. I worked two jobs during my senior year while trying to keep up with school. Late at night, at a small table, I studied, dreamed, and held onto hope. For years, I felt like I didn’t belong anywhere. I ate lunch alone, walked to school with anxiety, and told myself daily: this will not be my life forever. And it wasn’t. I held onto a dream—to one day stand on a stage and give a speech. Years later, that dream became real. I graduated as salutatorian and received the largest scholarships in my class. In that moment, everything I had endured felt seen. My mom sat in the crowd as I spoke, and I knew her sacrifices were not in vain. Today, I can finally call this country home. That’s why I’m creating “Leveled Ground”—to support immigrant teenagers who feel alone, unseen, or lost. I want them to know: you are not alone, and your story can be more than just survival—it can be triumph.