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Student by Day
Businessman by Night
BY HEATHER CIRAS
8
REGIS TODAY
Sophorn Nop ’13 usually has the typical day of a Regis
student: He wakes up, goes to classes, tennis practice
in the afternoon, then goes to work at night. Unlike
other students, though, Nop isn’t waiting tables in
Waltham to make ends meet or stocking merchandise
family’s international tire company—in Cambodia.
a bit prohibitive—a 26-hour plane ride. So he does
most of his work by email and phone. It’s a 12-hour
time difference, so as his day of classes and sports
is winding down, the company is ramping up. He
works from about 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. each day, after
which his Cambodia counterpart takes over and
Nop goes to bed.
Normally, this would make many students pause
and question whether they want to give up study
hours, time with friends or even sleep. But Nop’s
parents own the company and he is happy to help
them succeed.
The company buys tires worldwide and sells them
to local companies that, in turn, sell them to consumers.
Nop is engaged in all elements of purchasing:
and India; making sales orders; maintaining the cor-
“It is sometimes a long day,” Nop says, “but it is
worth it. This is what my parents want for me.” He
says that even though he’s “really busy,” he feels he
gets the best of both academia and the real world.
Like many students, Nop is able to use his job for
internship credit. Internships are a combination
keeps a daily log that he discusses with his professor
and will have to write a term paper on his work,
relating what he has learned in class to what he has
had the chance to practice.
“Experiential learning is invaluable,” says
Professor James Lane, head of the business
department, which requires internships of every
student. “It translates what you learn into action.”
“We’re always telling students to be decision
makers,” adds Lane, who serves as adviser to all
juniors and seniors in the program. “Don’t let the
decisions make you—make the decisions.”
companies. “Often I’m in class and I’ll see something
come up and I get to practice it,” Nop says. Not many
students get that opportunity immediately.
In fact, while most students were relaxing at home
for Christmas break, Nop and his father journeyed
to India to negotiate with a new company from which
to buy tires.
“In the meeting, it was a lot of principles from
in class,” Nop says. “What to do, how to make a
business plan, how to promote the products.”
His parents say they can see a difference in his
work because of his four years of study at Regis.
“We are very impressed with…the way Sophorn
presented the material to the business partners,”
wrote Nop’s father, adding that his son has increased
“They are very proud because I am bringing a
more modern way to solve problems,” says Nop,
“and I am bringing new ideas to the company.”
This spring, Nop is on track to earn his bachelor’s
degree in business management with a concentration
in accounting and a minor in economics. Through
and squeezing in extracurricular activities, Nop
has become an experienced multitasker, and he
leverages the power of modern-day technology.
“It sounds like a lot and that I’m extremely busy,”
Nop demures, reluctant to brag of the work he is
doing. “As long as I have my iPad and phone, I can
still hang out with my friends.”