Mr. Tep Afril, a Term 1 student in the College of Sciences and Technology at the University of Cambodia (UC), won first place in the iOne Digital Art Contest. Over 400 candidates participated in the contest, which was sponsored by iOne Cambodia from August to September 2010.
Mr. Tep received an Apple iMac desktop for his innovative design, which was inspired by a design his younger sister created for the same contest. Instead of using a hand (which is what his sister used), he decided to use a satellite map with an Apple logo superimposed on it to emphasize that “Apple can be discovered everywhere in the world.” The concept came to him immediately and took him two weeks to design.
This is the first contest Mr. Tep has ever participated in, and he hopes to participate in more design contests in the future. He also hopes to one day study information technology (IT) in India and is very interested in web design.
“This contest inspired me so much,” he stated.
Mr. Tep attributed some of his design success to his supportive older brother, Mr. Tep Punloeu, who serves as the Associate Dean for the College of Law and taught him how to use Dreamweaver and other software.
Friends also played a critical role in shaping Mr. Tep’s interest in digital designing. Mr. Tep recalled, “All of my friends in tenth grade knew about Photoshop. They inspired me to learn about it and to learn more about designing.”
Belonging to a generation accustomed to learning on and through the internet, Mr. Tep credited the internet as an effective teacher and said, “You can learn the language of programming and algorithms through the internet.”
His ability to self-direct and -manage his own learning is a valuable skill to have, and will prove useful as he continues his studies at UC and when he enters the workforce. Mr. Tep has high aspirations and plans to become a professional designer.
To the younger generation, Mr. Tep offered a final recommendation for success: “Work hard, especially in your studies.” Students who have questions regarding the contest or designing may contact Tep Afril at tepafril@yahoo.com.
The University of Cambodia is very proud of Mr. Tep Afril’s achievement, and encourages him and other UC students to continue working hard and pursue their dreams.
