Sixteen-year old Dy Kuchsa was a gold medal winner in the International Junior Science Olympiad recently held in Indonesia.
Dy Kuchsa is the son of Mr. Thlang Sandi and Mrs. Meng Kim. The couple has five children. He is the only boy in the family and is the third child.
There are 6 contestants from Cambodia including one girl. Three contestants come from the capital Phnom Penh, and the other three come from the provinces.
Dy Kuchsa attends Tuol Tapoung school.
Before going to Indonesia, he passed the Ministry of Education's test searching for brilliant students who excell in literature, biology, and physics.
He excells in physics and passed the test. The Ministry of Education then pays brilliant students $5 a day for extra studies, in theories and experiments for 3 months.
The students study 3-4 hours a day. The teachers responsible for the extra teachings are from the Teachers College, teaching physics, chemistry and biology.
Dy Kuchsa says that his success relies on his own endeavour, his own study at home, at school, his teachers' efforts, including giving him documents, his parents who always encourage him, and the government that gives him this good opportunity.
He says he studies steadily since he was in first grade. Currently he is in 10th grade.
He says he is proud for his country, and wants to continue his education in a technical school.
Among the 36 countries that sent 196 contestants are: Russia, Germany, England, Croatia, Brazil, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.
One advice his father gave him that he remembers is that manual work is harder than work using intellect.