The Global Leadership Program, in collaboration with Saint Michael's College, was honored to host author, activist and co-screenplay writer Loung Ung on Tuesday, Oct. 29th, at the SMC Roy Room.
Author Loung Ung was just five years old when communist revolutionaries known as the Khmer Rouge took control of her home country of Cambodia. Nearly a quarter of the population died in the ensuing genocide. But she survived, eventually making her way to Vermont. Ung's memoirs have become international best-sellers, and her memoir, First They Killed My Father, was adapted to film in 2017, co-written by Ung and the actress and director, Angelina Jolie.
In Ung's talk with students, "Embracing Differences: Turning Struggles into Strengths," Ung described how she channeled her guilt from surviving the Khmer Rouge into her writing and activism.
Loung Ung is an alum of both Essex High School and Saint Michael's College.