F?acing difficulty is part of being human – it’s how we deal with these difficulties that shape who we are.

Chheng Nora, a bank manager for ANZ Royal, looks to overcoming difficulties as a source of happiness.

Nora is 29-years-old and was born to a modest family in rural Kampong Thom province. He was an outstanding student and fist came to Phnom Penh in 2001; however, he didn’t know how to speak, read or write English.

But Nora wanted to study finance, which requires knowledge of the language. To overcome this obstacle, he spent four years studying English and two years teaching the subject.

Nora’s diligence paid off as he mastered the language, and he was awarded with a scholarship to study banking at Royal University of Law and Economics.

After graduating from RULE, Nora took up a part-time job selling electronics at a major distributor to save some money. Quickly after, he was snatched up by Mekong Bank to work as a teller at a branch in Siem Reap town.

With banking experience under his belt, Nora scored a job as Cooperation Support Officer at a branch of ANZ Royal in Preah Sihanouk province.

“Working in different provinces has made me more independent and better at solving problems,” he reflected.

Because of his various experiences, Nora was offered a scholarship by Cam Ed Business School to study banking and finance at the graduate level.

Also, to further his entrepreneurial skills, Nora opened a gym by himself – however, it quickly failed. Regardless, Nora looks at this as a learning experience and eagerly springs forward with his ambitions.

“It was a hard thing for me,” he said, “but I won’t give up, and if I have the chance, I’ll try starting another business.”

Nora is currently working for ANZ Royal in Kandal province. Since he began working for the bank, he’s been promoted four times.

“Failure is the teacher of success – that’s why I never give up when I’m down,” Nora added.

Nora wishes to stay in banking and finance so that he can learn more about the field and add to his skill-set.