I never saw anyone who looked like me in a white coat.
Growing up as a first-generation Cambodian American, I often felt invisible in academic spaces. No Olympians, no famous doctors, no actors. It made me wonder: Do I really belong here? Then I remembered why I’m here. In the late 1970s, my parents and grandparents fled the Cambodian Genocide — a regime that deliberately targeted and murdered teachers, doctors, artists, and students. An entire generation of intellectuals was erased, leaving a silence where role models should have been.
That silence is exactly why I chose to speak up — with my presence, my degree, and soon, my Doctor of Pharmacy. When I chose to do my Doctor of Pharmacy at Washington State University College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, something shifted. A merit-based scholarship didn’t just ease the financial burden; it told me, for the first time, that my story mattered. That my late nights studying, my parents’ unfinished Coug dreams, and my determination to be the first pharmacist in my family were seen and valued. That scholarship was made possible by you — WSU alumni and friends who believe in students you may never meet. Because of your generosity, I stopped feeling like an imposter and started becoming the example I once desperately needed.
I earned my bachelor’s degree at the University of Washington, but I chose to do my PharmD degree at WSU because this campus told me, “We see you. We believe in you. And we’re going to help you get there.” Today, I’m on track to become the first Doctor of Pharmacy in my family. My three younger sisters now have a clear path forward. And every time I put on my white coat, I carry the weight — and the pride — of an entire community. Scholarships do more than pay tuition— it breaks cycles.
It proves that with hard work and the right community behind you, any dream can become reality. To every alumnus who has ever opened their wallet and their heart to a stranger in crimson and gray: Thank you. Because of you, I found a home at WSU. Because of you, future Coug pharmacists who look like me, speak like me, and come from backgrounds like mine will walk through these doors knowing that they belong.
It proves that with hard work and the right community behind you, any dream can become reality.
You didn’t just fund an education. You lifted an entire generation.
So from the bottom of my heart — and on behalf of every first-generation student still finding their voice — thank you for showing us what it truly means to be a Coug: to lift your community, believe in others, and give back so the next generation can thrive. Wherever life takes us, whenever we see that famous crimson and gray, we’ll always answer with pride: Go Cougs!
During this season of giving, you can support students like Victoria Nuon by making a gift today!