Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/15710
For students like Sokkim Heng, the budget cuts suffered at California community colleges and universities have been extremely hard. Along with higher tuition and fees, many key courses have been cut from the curriculum in various subjects. Heng tries to make the best out of a tough situation as she tries to complete her studies and fulfill her goal of being a master pastry chef and opening her own shop that will feature pastries from around the world. Heng enrolled in the LBCC Culinary Arts School last year and her focus is on baking Asian desserts, something she learned how to do as a child from her mother. Heng has been working as a Dessert Assistant for Jues for the past few years. She said that she eventually does plan to transfer to a four- year school in the near future to continue her studies. However, she cites that with budget cuts and the lack of funding at many California colleges, choosing the right school to meet her academic criteria will be a daunting task. "There has been a terrible lack of funding at many schools, including Long Beach City College and it's very difficult," said Heng. "There's so much involved in cooking and being a great cook that it's often frustrating that colleges and universities are spending so much money on things like construction and that there's a lack of funding for teachers and classes you need to learn and prepare for the next steps. Things are tough, but I think that as long as I'm learning something and the more I learn, that can go a long way someday, because eventually I would like to teach." The 23-year-old 2005 Wilson graduate was born and raised in this city as her parents migrated to the United States from Vietnam during the Khmer Rouge reign in Cambodia in the 1970s. The fourth of five siblings, Heng excelled in school and was a student in the Regional Occupation Program (ROP) while attending the local Renaissance High School for the Arts. "I've always been into arts and crafts and I've been cooking for many years, but became more comfortable with cooking desserts," said Heng. "Baking and cooking is an art, but when you cook, it's more fast paced and you have to be able to make sure that everything is done right and it can withstand a lot of things. But when you bake, you can take your time and put more thought and effort into it." An active member of the Asian community, Heng said one of her goals is to stay involved and to continue the tradition by her mother and many Asian families in the city by continuing to give as much as she can to teach and enrich as many as she can. "We do a lot of cooking to help out and pay for the [local Buddhist] temples, and my mom and her friends have always encouraged us to cook. Whatever we cook or bake is sold usually during the holidays, and helps manage the facilities and with education. So when I cook, I feel like I'm giving back to the community." Sokkim Heng Making The Most Out Of a Future During Tough Times In The Present FEATURE : COOKING UP A DREAM