1. Could you tell us about yourself?
My name is Panhavuth Ly, and I’m a 21-year-old student from Cambodia currently pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration at AUPP, which is a dual-degree program with the University of Arizona, graduating in 2028. Beyond academics, I’m the Founder and current President of the Business Society at AUPP, something I built from the ground up and am deeply proud of. Right now, my days are pretty packed, I intern during the day, attend Mandarin classes in the evening, and study for the CFA Level 1 exam at night. I’m deeply passionate about finance, particularly investment banking and private equity, and I’ve been working hard to build the skills and credentials that will help me get there. Alongside academics, I care a lot about personal growth, whether that’s leading a student organization, learning a new language, staying physically active, or expanding my understanding of global markets. I’m someone who genuinely enjoys the process of getting better every day, even when it’s exhausting. Cambodia is my home, and everything I do is ultimately tied to a long-term vision of contributing meaningfully when I return. I believe that the combination of international education, leadership experience, and cross-cultural skills I’m building right now will put me in the best position to do that.
2. Could you tell us about the achievements you are most proud of?
One of the achievements I’m most proud of is founding the Business Society at AUPP and serving as its President. Starting something from scratch, with no blueprint, no guaranteed support, and no certainty it would work, takes a different kind of courage than most academic achievements. I had to rally people around a vision, build a structure, and create a community that didn’t exist before. Watching it grows into something real, something that genuinely adds value to students on campus, is one of the most fulfilling things I’ve done. It taught me leadership in the most practical sense, not leadership from a textbook, but the kind that requires you to navigate uncertainty, motivate others, and take responsibility for outcomes. Beyond that, I’m proud of the life structure I’ve managed to build at 21. Balancing a full-time internship, a university degree, Mandarin language classes, and self-studying for the CFA Level 1 exam simultaneously is not easy, and there are days when the exhaustion is real. But the fact that I’ve committed to all of it and haven’t given up is something I genuinely take pride in. I’m also proud of the clarity I have about my future. A lot of people my age are still figuring out what direction they want to go, I’ve already identified investment banking and private equity as my target, mapped out the steps to get there, and I’m actively working through that plan every single day.
3. Could you tell us about one thing or experience you encountered that changed your life?
The experience that changed my life was making the decision to truly take my future into my own hands, not waiting for opportunities to come, but actively engineering them. There was a point where I realized that where you end up in life is largely the result of the habits, decisions, and sacrifices you make in your twenties. That realization hit me hard. I started looking at my time completely differently. Instead of treating evenings as downtime, I started using them to study finance. Instead of seeing language learning as optional, I committed to Mandarin classes five days a week because I understood its strategic value for a career in Asia. I also started thinking seriously about what kind of person I wanted to be physically, financially, and professionally, and I made concrete plans for each. That mental shift, from passive to intentional, changed everything. It’s not tied to one dramatic event, but to a quiet, internal decision that my life was worth designing carefully. Once I made that shift, the internship, the CFA preparation, the dual degree, the fitness discipline, all of it started to feel less like pressure and more like building blocks I was proud to be laying, one day at a time.
4. Who is the person you look up to the most?
The people I look up to the most are my parents. Growing up, I watched them work incredibly hard every single day, not for themselves, but for me. The sacrifices they made, big and small, are things I’ll never be able to fully repay, and honestly, they don’t expect me to. That’s what makes it even more meaningful. They didn’t have to say much for me to understand the value of hard work, I could see it in the way they lived. Every early morning, every difficult decision they made to give me better opportunities, every moment they put my future ahead of their own comfort, all of that shaped who I am today. When I think about why I push myself so hard, the internship, the CFA, the language classes, the long nights studying, a big part of it comes back to them. I want to make their sacrifices worth it. I want them to look at where I end up and feel proud. My parents are my biggest motivation and my clearest example of what it means to be truly dedicated to something greater than yourself. If I can carry even half of their work ethic and selflessness into my own life and career, I think I’ll be doing something right.
5. What are the steps you took that led you to where you are right now?
The steps that brought me here were never dramatic, they were mostly small, consistent choices made over time. The first was committing to a strong academic foundation. Choosing AUPP’s dual-degree program with the University of Arizona wasn’t just about getting a degree; it was about accessing an internationally recognized credential that would open doors beyond Cambodia. The second step was language. I recognized early that Mandarin is a critical skill for anyone serious about finance and business in Asia, so I started studying and haven’t stopped. The third was gaining real-world exposure through internships. Understanding that classroom knowledge alone isn’t enough, I sought professional experience while still in school to start building practical skills. The fourth was pursuing the CFA, a decision to add a globally respected qualification to my profile. The fifth was investing in my own clarity, spending real time understanding what I want, why I want it, and what the realistic path looks like. That planning process is what keeps me focused when things get hard. Each step wasn’t random. It was part of a broader strategy to become the most competitive version of myself for a career in investment banking or private equity.
6. What are the happiest moments of your life?
Some of my happiest moments are surprisingly simple. There’s a specific kind of satisfaction I feel after a really good morning. For example, waking up at 6am for the gym before anyone else is awake, finishing a solid workout, and knowing I’ve already done something meaningful before the day even starts. That feeling is hard to describe, but it’s genuinely one of my favorites. Beyond that, moments of real progress make me happy, finishing a difficult CFA chapter and actually understanding it, hitting a milestone in Mandarin where a conversation suddenly flows more naturally, or getting positive feedback at my internship that tells me I’m developing in the right direction. I’m also happiest when I’m at home, sharing a meal with family, Khmer and Chinese home-cooked food is something I genuinely love and wouldn’t trade for anything. There’s a comfort in that simplicity that balances out the intensity of everything else. And looking forward, I know some of my happiest moments are still ahead, getting into a top master’s program abroad, landing my first real role in finance, and eventually returning to Cambodia with the tools to make a difference. Those future milestones already make me happy just thinking about them.
7. Is there any advice to the people that look up to you?
The most honest advice I can give is this: get very clear on what you want and then build your life around making it happen, not someday, but now. I think a lot of people underestimate how much they’re capable of, and overestimate how much time they have. At 21, I’m already working against a plan: a target exam date for the CFA, a target timeline for graduate school, a target region for my career. That clarity isn’t stressful, it’s freeing. It turns every day into something purposeful. Second, don’t be afraid of a full life. People sometimes look at my schedule, internship, classes, CFA, gym, language study, and wonder how I manage. But I think the alternative, doing less and drifting, is far harder in the long run. Third, stay close to your roots. I’m doing all of this with Cambodia in mind. Your ambition doesn’t have to take you away from where you come from, it can be the very thing that brings you back stronger. And finally, be patient with the process. Progress rarely looks impressive day by day. But compound it over months and years, and the results will surprise you.