Sokuntheary Heang

Attending 

Academic Major

Undeclared

​Class of 2024

Sokuntheary "Theary" Heang will be a freshman at Gettysburg in the fall of 2020, where she hopes to study international relations. Because her father is an educator, Theary was exposed to the world of knowledge and curiosity from a young age. Given cultural restrictions that were still powerful in her rural neighborhood, she crossed many social barriers to become the person she is today. Theary worked hard to be an outstanding student and managed to maintain 1st or 2nd rank among students in her high school grade. After high school, Theary began studying Media and Communication at the Royal University of Phnom Penh. She has learned that she is most passionate about improving Cambodia’s educational system. While the world is developing, many schools in Cambodia are still operating under the old way of learning. Not only is it outdated but it also limits the students’ knowledge of today’s world, and deprives them of better opportunities. Theary knows that the problem in Cambodia is complex and does not lie in the educational system alone – the economic and political situation also plays a very important role in the country’s development. By majoring in international relations, she hopes to use her knowledge of cooperative communication, social issues and emerging global educational trends to improve Cambodia. Theary’s legacy will be making a positive change in the Cambodian educational system to help unleash the potential of Cambodia’s next generation.

---

Mentors 

Caroline Boeckman
Karen Frank, Partner, Coblentz, Patch, Duffy & Bass
Barbara Giuffre, Attorney, Work/Environment Law Group
Michelle Lepore
Lisa Michael, Physics Teacher, Pacific Collegiate School
Patricia Templin
Janet Watson, President & Founder, Watson and Associates