Hello, my name is Monica Mak and I am 17-years-old. I grew up in Cambodia for 5 years before I moved to Seattle, Washington. The environment that I was surrounded by in Cambodia was your typical little village near the capital. I grew up with not much, like the majority of the people in Cambodia living day by day on edge with money. That upbringing shaped me to be very appreciative of things and taught me how to be humble.
Currently I am an upcoming senior in high school. As a young adult, I have many options and visions for myself as to where I will go after high school. However, I have not decided which major I would love to expand my knowledge on because there are so many subjects that interests me. As cliche as it sound, no matter what I major in, I dream to travel the world and help out in anyway I can. I want to be able to look back on my life and have the ability to say I tried my best to change someone’s life for the better.
My parents are my role models in life, as well as my aunt and uncle. They went through the Khmer Rouge and still found the strength to give me everything that I have today. This makes it very important to me, to know my parents native culture.
I began modeling professionally after the encouragement of my parents. I think its every girl’s dream is to see themselves on the front page of a magazine. Although the preparation of makeup and hair may take hours, its all worth it when you get in front of the camera.
I’m a person who likes to stay active. I play all types of sports from basketball to tennis. As of now, tennis is the main sport I am focusing on. However, my favorite hobby is dancing. I do not think I am a good dancer, but I still love the feeling it gives me.
Khmerican is where I turn to find connection with other people in my culture. Around where I live, I have not met many Cambodians. So it’s very handy to be able to go on social media where I can be able to connect with my culture.
I am currently in Cambodia. I come back every 2 years to see my parents. Cambodia has so many things to offer. There are so many beautiful hidden attractions that makes the whole trip memorable.
Ten years from now I see myself being stable financially. I would like to continue my regular visits to Cambodia and hope to give back to the country I call home.
