Sam Doeun arrived in the United States from Cambodia when he was 2 years old. He and his family came to Wisconsin where they stayed for a couple of years before moving to the North Shore. During high school, Sam fell in with the wrong crowd and he ended up dropping out four months before graduation.

“I’m at Pathways to make it better for my family,” says Sam. He has two boys, 8 and 11 years old.

“Right now I work full time, second shift. I get up at six, take my kids to school and come straight here. I leave here and go straight to work and work until 2AM. That’s my life right now.”

Sam works as a formulator making adhesive for manufacturing. He’s been working at this job for eleven years and he sees no future in it.

“I want to support my family.”

Sam has his sights set on a degree in Electrical Engineering, but he can’t get in until he’s completed his HiSet (GED).

“I started at Pathways this fall and it’s been pretty good! There are a lot of good people here and they are very enthusiastic and motivating. I’m going to finish my high school certificate, and then get certified as an electrician and probably get my associates degree.”