Chhunny Hearn and the power of dreams

by Vannak Lach and Stephanie Boegeman

Chhunny Hearn was born and raised in a small village in Kampong Cham, Cambodia. He has spent much of his life as a Buddhist monk: he took his first vows just before the age of 14 and spent the next 14 years livingas a monk, studying Buddhist scripture and philosophy. Such dedication and discipline earned Chhunny a degree in Buddhist Philosophy with a focus in English language from International Buddhist University of Chiang Mai, Thailand.

In April of 2010, Chhunny left the monkhood and joined PEPY, where he worked in community development. Specifically, Chhunny helped build the skills of teachers and community members in order to increase access to quality education in rural Cambodia. He has since moved on to pursue more of his own dreams. He is currently based in Phnom Penh serving as the Resident Director for the South East Asia Comparative Semester (SEACS) Program run by Payap University and the University of Cambodia, where he continues to help others realize their potential on a daily basis.

Chhunny is deeply invested in the power of dreams and sees himself as a dream implementer. His mantra? “ Keep our hope alive and follow our dreams.” To achieve this, Chhunny always keeps these 5 fundamental points in mind:

1. Set goals
2. Understand the steps necessary to achieve your goal
3. Have faith in and a commitment to your dream
4. Act with responsibility
5. Refuse to fear failure

In the following excerpt from a recent KhmerTalks event, Chhunny discusses his philosophy in greater detail. Be sure to watch and take one more step toward achieving your dreams!