By: Mr. Ros Bunthoeum, Inspired Perspectives Series

Thorn Monin Sovan Meta was born in 2011 in the village of Anchagn in Nokor Thom district, one of the remote, less populated, forested areas, and a neighboring region of Siem Reap town, Cambodia. She is the third child of four siblings, and she comes from a loving, middle-class family. Her father works as a staff in a five-star hotel in Siem Reap, and he is a strong supporter of his daughter’s education. Her mother stays home and takes care of the household chores and the kids. Although the family is not rich, they are happy, and that is the reason why Meta has been able to concentrate well on her studies and has made it to the sixth grade, about to move up to the middle school level.
Meta at Spitler School campus
Meta is always doing her best in her academic performance and there are a couple of subjects she is brilliant at – social studies, Khmer language studies, basic science and specifically English language. Not only is she good at these subjects, she is also passionate about drawing. In her free time, Meta does so much drawing just for fun, and she is always looking for any opportunity to take part in any drawing competitions.  A few months ago, she participated in a drawing contest called National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan Award. There were young contestants from 15 schools in Cambodia and 24 countries around Asian Countries participating in the contest.
 
Contestants were supposed to produce an original drawing; they were not allowed to copy from the others, neither from coursebooks nor from the internet. Because of her extraordinary talent, Meta made it to the final round and earned Fourth Place out of hundreds of young contestants. Meta’s drawings were about Cambodia’s finest culture and civilizations. Meta dreams of becoming a teacher when she grows up.
Meta's award-winning drawing
Meta’s award-winning drawing