Before coming to ACAC Chea Simon was studying accounting at a school in Phnom Penh, where his older brother was also studying. After one year it was clear that this wasn’t the right career path for him, and he decided to leave.
Simon says “I love food and cooking at home, and over time I realised that my real passion was to become a chef”. He also says that seeing different experiences in movies and on social media exposed him to new opportunities and ideas in food and cooking, which he found exciting: “I like Italian 3-Michelin-Star Massimo Bottura, and I also follow famous renown Cambodian Chef Luu Meng on social media, study about his eleven restaurants in Cambodia and I visited his flagship restaurant Malis.”.
Simon started at ACAC in January 2021, and says “I find practical cooking class a bit difficult, but it is the most exciting class for me – in both the hot and the cold kitchens. Today, I am studying in the cold kitchen and this afternoon I study English and History.
When I graduate from ACAC I would like to get experience working in different roles within kitchens, as one day I want to open a fine-dining restaurant with a main focus on Asian cuisine. I love cooking Chinese food as they have a lot of ingredients.”
Simon says that without the Naomi Scholarship Fund he would not have been able to find the funds to study at ACAC, and may not have been able to follow his dream: “The Naomi Scholarship Fund has helped me to shape my future”.
About The Naomi Tami Memorial Scholarship Fund
The Naomi Tami Scholarship Memorial Fund was established by the Tami family to honour the memory of Naomi Laura Tami who passed away on May 7, 2013, at the early age of 23. In keeping with Naomi’s love of life and passion, the Naomi Tami Scholarship Memorial Fund provides the opportunity for students who are committed to excellence, love the culinary arts, and who would not otherwise have the opportunity due to financial constraints, to study tuition-paid at the Academy of Culinary Arts Cambodia.
How to give
Your financial gifts to the Naomi Tami Scholarship Memorial Fund enable Shift360 to expand scholarship opportunities for the Academy of Culinary Arts Cambodia and provide more students with financial constraints the chance for a brighter future.
JOIN US:
Naomi Tami Memorial Scholarship Fund: https://www.naomimemorialfund.com/
Shift 360 Foundation: https://shift360.ch/naomi-tami-scholarship/
Academy of Culinary Arts Cambodia (ACAC): https://acac.edu.kh/
