Carrying Strength Forward

When Kimberly Il arrived at the University of Washington, she wasn’t just carrying a backpack and hopes for the future — she was carrying the weight of family history, inherited resilience, and a deep sense of purpose.

Il’s parents were survivors of the Khmer Rouge genocide in Cambodia. Her father came to the U.S. as a refugee and her mother came a few years later. Il grew up in Lacey, Washington, in a home where education was a luxury her parents never had. Her father was a stay-at-home dad for her and her brother while battling chronic health problems;  her mother worked as a custodian to support the family. College, for Il, was never just about her own future — it was about healing the past.

Now, as she prepares to graduate with a degree in Law, Societies & Justice (LSJ), Il reflects on a journey shaped by both struggle and transformation.

“I knew I had to go to college,” she said. “It was a way to give back to my family and community.”

Education as Empowerment

Il chose the University of Washington not only for its proximity to her family but also for the community she hoped to find there — a contrast to her high school, where she often felt isolated and disconnected from her cultural identity.

Il was also a recipient of the Costco Scholarship, a moment that shifted her sense of what was possible.

“It eased the financial burden on my family,” she said, “but more than that, it made me feel like someone believed in me — even before I fully believed in myself.”

That support became a powerful motivator, confirming that she was exactly where she was meant to be.

At the UW, Il joined the Khmer Student Association and began building her own community from the ground up. She helped organize cultural festivals, campus events, and a scholarship program for Cambodian high school students. One of her proudest moments came during the UW’s Cambodian New Year show — held after the long COVID pause — where hundreds gathered in the HUB Ballroom to celebrate culture, heritage, and higher education.

“I didn’t know until I came to UW how low the college attainment rates were for Southeast Asian students,” she said. “Many of them experience generational trauma and have family members who experience PTSD and poverty. This was our way of saying: We see you, and you belong here.”

Advocacy Rooted in Experience

Il’s academic focus quickly became personal. Through coursework on immigration, incarceration, and human rights, she saw reflections of her family’s experience — and discovered the systemic challenges still facing marginalized communities.

A class with Professor Angelina Godoy introduced Il to the lived and legal experiences of Latin American migrants in the Pacific Northwest and beyond— a perspective that deeply influenced her academic journey. What began as classroom learning sparked broader engagement: She helped raise awareness on campus through educational events, petitions and conversations with fellow students. That initial spark eventually led her to a role as a legal assistant at a civil rights law firm, where she now supports incarcerated individuals and contributes to ongoing casework. “I want to be a lawyer because I want to tell compelling stories — stories that make people understand how the system can sometimes fail the most vulnerable,” she said. “It’s about dignity. It’s about rights. It’s about health care as a human right.”

Her father, who passed away shortly before she began college, remains a constant source of inspiration. A survivor of the Khmer Rouge, he suffered from lifelong health issues, including undiagnosed heart problems and cancer — conditions worsened by the absence of timely care while he was in Cambodia.

“He drove me to soccer practices, even when he was sick,” she recalled. “Both of my parents showed me what it means to invest in your children and the future generation, even without resources. I am eternally grateful for the sacrifices they made. I think he’d be proud.”

Building What She Didn’t Have

For Il, the UW became more than a campus — it became a proving ground. Through her work with the Office of Multicultural Outreach and Recruitment, she helped bring underserved high school students to campus for workshops, tours, and college prep programming. She’s especially focused on outreach to communities like her own — Southeast Asian families who may not see college as accessible or even possible.

“I want students to know they don’t have to have it all figured out,” she said. “There are people here who believe in them.”

Now, as she prepares for graduation and law school applications, Il says she’s trying not to rush the moment.

“I don’t want to leave,” she laughed. “UW changed my life. The professors, the staff, my classmates — they helped me see what I’m capable of. I’ll always carry that with me.”