Tommy has dedicated the past 8 years to a Japanese organization in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, teaching Japanese and providing essential care for underprivileged children. He started simply by donating computers and learning materials to kids who had none, and soon more donations poured in. He works diligently to ensure every resource reaches a child who will use it, teaching 40 students per year ranging from kindergarteners to 10th graders. His commitment extends beyond the classroom as well. Among those he has served are Rohingya refugees, Muslim people forcibly displaced from Myanmar, who found themselves without a home or access to education. Tommy made sure they were not without opportunity.
Rather than holding onto the program himself, Tommy passed his teaching responsibilities to a new generation of educators, whom he now manages and supervises. He also brings three people with him to Cambodia each year, mentoring them on the ground in hopes of expanding the program’s reach. Growing up in Tokyo, he witnessed firsthand how access to technology can transform learning, and he carried that lesson across borders. Now a freshman at UC Berkeley, Tommy has not slowed down and is already exploring ways to connect university resources with the children he has spent nearly a decade serving. His kindness, compassion, and can-do spirit are nothing short of inspiring.
Keep going Tommy!
Giving the opportunities of quality education to disadvantaged children and youth in the world could be your mission! Encourage them to learn as you have been.
Your 8 years of dedication in Cambodia and your support for refugees are truly inspiring. You are someone who deeply cares for others and has the power to make a real difference.