I was born in Cambodia during war time with the Khmer Rouge. I was young. I don’t recall everything. We were sponsored by the United States; from Thailand to Singapore to a plane here. When I get to the United States I was 8 years old. I went to my 2nd semester of college in business management, at Bronx Community College.

I get with the wrong crowd. There are a lot of gangs around; peer pressure, stuff that is hard to explain. I make the wrong decision. I was incarcerated. I went to a shelter and my case manager sent me to RWA (Ready, Willing and Able). The RWA program gave me an opportunity to turn my life around. After I completed the program they offer me a supervisor job. The Doe Fund teach me skills; how to become a leader, to work with trainees, how to resolve conflicts. They promote me to senior supervisor. They offer me a decent living.

Now I live in Brooklyn, in a nice apartment. I can’t complain. I would like to advance, make more money, plan my future. Since I am interested in mechanics, in fixing stuff, they give me an opportunity for that; that’s how I end up here, working in mechanical maintenance.

My family lives in North Carolina, my mom and my sister. A very small family. We keep in touch. I went to see them once. My mom is getting old, doing pretty well. I just got to deal with it well as I can. I am in a relationship right now; I would like my own family.