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Statements of Certification:

I, Chamroeun LIM, would like to express my sincerest appreciation and thank you for the opportunity to apply to Concordia University of Portland, Oregon, for the following program(s):

Level:                          Graduate

Degree:                       Dual Concentration in Curriculum and Instruction

Concentration 1:      English to Speakers of Other Language (TESOL)

Concentration 2:      Career and Technical Education Leadership               

I, Chamroeun LIM, hereby declare that I understand that the online program does not come with “Licensure” or “Certification,” and Concordia University will not be able to satisfy any request for completion of a state verification form related to licensure.

I, Chamroeun LIM, hereby further declare that I understand that I must maintain a minimum “3.0 GPA” in order to graduate from this program.

Professional Goals:

For fourteen years, six months, and twenty days, I lived under constant threat and fear of both regional and civil wars while growing up in the slums between the Cambodia and Vietnam borders, which robbed away my childhood. The book of my young life has been one of mostly cheerless chapters, though each of these chapters contains stories that need to be told and cherished. These life-changing experiences have shaped the person that I am today and have inspired me toward a career goal of becoming a U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. I want to work in both microfinance and community development projects with the ultimate goal of building an ideal and sustainable society for everyone. My password to unlock these dreams is righteous education.

Education was not a career path that I neither am interested nor dreamed of ever since I was young till I graduated from Oregon State University with FOUR different Honor Bachelor of Arts Degrees in Finance, Management, Business Administration, and International Studies. However, my life was turned up-side-down with a 360 degrees twist when I got accepted to the Teach For America (TFA) Corps and served as their Educational Specialist for the Hawaii Department of Special Education in Ewa Beach. My life has never been the same since my first time set foot into a classroom where male students were almost shirtless and bodies were covered with their respective tribe tattoos. Female students on the other hands were putting on makeup and called their friends with faulty language. Most of my fellow TFA teachers were quitting after the first quarter due to the overwhelming pressure. However, I strived till the end of the first semester, and it was the greatest decision I ever made.

These kids have taught me to be patience and kind as a special education teacher. And Teach for America’s Hawaii did an amazing job in providing me both the resource and the training. All these skills that I have learned as a teacher have help me to run a successful semi nonprofit, career and educational related company here in the Kingdom of Cambodia, www.seekideal.com. Every time when I conducted a career seminar I always follow the model: I do, WE do, and YOU do. When group discussion was part of the training, then I would utilize think-pair-share strategy. When multiple skills needed to be train for multinational firms in Cambodia, I would not hesitate to conduct station teaching, as well as parallel training. Cambodia project has been very successful as we have helped thousands of low-income students with free and professional career placement, most importantly, the education that they long seeking for. My formula for the local people here is to first get a job that would generate a sustainable income for their family, then seeking night and weekend classes to start up and/or continue education.

Nonetheless, I believe that I am still lacking many other essential skills that this online degree from Concordia University would able to fulfill. I want to learn and gain more techniques in designing curriculum, as well as the art in delivering (instructional strategies) the curriculum itself. An ideal and sustainable society would never able to achieve without human capital, and human capital never able to achieve without effective education. Therefore, this online degree will enable and equip me with the right tools and resources toward achieving my dream of becoming a U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations in community development project for the developing nations.

Challenges

The greatest challenge that I am facing thus far is financial support. One of the reasons why that I am deferring my second year of Teach for America commitment is because I need to return to Cambodia to care for my father’s kidney transplant. Because I am no longer teaching at the TFA’s designated school, I am not able to continue the certification M. Ed. program from University of Hawaii-Manoa.

The second challenge that I need to overcome in order to earn this accelerated degree online is my commitment toward the company I founded, www.seekideal.com. Given I am currently 27 years old, and need to take care of my dad hospitalization, as well as running an 18 employees semi nonprofit company can be a bit overwhelming sometime.

I have confidence and no doubt that I will succeed this online graduate degree given my strong background in academic performance, as well as time management skills. While I was attending Oregon State University, I was already working full time to support family while completing 4 of undergraduate bachelors through Oregon State University Honor College program. Nothing great ever achieve without commitment and dedication, especially the passion.

Why Concordia University

I graduated from Centennial High School in Gresham, Oregon, where almost all of my teachers received their teaching credential from Concordia, Portland. Also, as the Lifetime ambassador and formerly Oregon State FBLA Vice President for Mt. Hood region, we often host our regional conference with Concordia.

I have reached out to all of my high school teachers, and almost all of them recommended me to go for this Concordia online M. Ed degree. I believe in Concordia University for already have become its products since high school.

I am very proud that I can indirectly represent Concordia mission in preparing leaders for the transformation of our society. As many of my high school teachers, those who have graduated from Concordia, were always committed to inspire, encouraged, and empowered my friends in reaching our fullest potential. I am looking forward to return home to Portland, Oregon, and to continue my dream and mission to develop a sustainable society via education.