Sithea San is a Cambodian genocide survivor having escaped the Killing Fields of the Khmer Rouge as a teenager in 1980. Her story is one of strong determination and perseverance as her journey took her across landmine-riddled Cambodia to Thailand and eventually immigrating to Long Beach, California with her mother and two sisters. With virtually no English language skills, she enrolled in the local public schools, graduated high school and earned her bachelor's degree from California State University, Dominguez Hills in 1991.
After graduation, Sithea and her husband returned to Cambodia where she worked as Director of Commercial Operations for the Cambodian national airline for five years. She is currently a Customer Service Officer with Union Bank and the immediate past Board Chair for Cambodia Town, Inc. For her commitment to preserve and share her Khmer heritage, she has received numerous awards and recognition for community service and leadership at local, state, and national levels.
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)