School: Conestoga High School

Grade: 11th

Background/interests/hobbies: I was born and raised in Darby, Pa. by my parents who immigrated from Cambodia. I have a knack and passion for journaling and taking photos and videos with my Canon R50. I documented moments from City Council meetings and hearings regarding the 76ers legislation and Chinatown to protests and marches regarding Free Palestine and imperialism. As a volunteer for organizations such as Key Club, Ginger Arts Center, and Make Us Visible, I love seeing the combination of my volunteering and journalistic experiences help me to create new connections with communities in Philly and across the country.

Reason for applying to the workshop: I loved being a part of the writing track and having the opportunity to work with people at The Inquirer to help me write my article about a community that I have grown to love. I applied again so I could experience the photo track this year and meet new faces from other high schools to better understand perspectives in Philly. I’m hoping to bring the skills I learn from the Acel Moore program to my school newspaper to benefit our reporters and improve our paper.

Future plans: I’m not exactly sure what I want to pursue, but I’m sure that I will continue to document and tell stories through my writing, camera, and voice.