Sida Lei was born in Cambodia in 1965. She survived as an orphan during the 1975-1979
Khmer Rouge holocaust. Against all odds, she led her siblings in a daring escape to Thailand in 1979.
After living in the Thai refugee camps for two years, Sida and her siblings were granted visas
to come to the United States. The five Kong children were sponsored by a Catholic family center,
Saint Margaret Mary Church, in Rochester New York.

Ms. Lei went on to graduate from the University at Buffalo where she earned a Bachelor of Science
in Medical Technology. She wanted a profession where she could give back, help others, and save lives.
Sida is happily married to her husband, Jonathan, and has three lovely children: Serena, Sean and Sarah.
Ms. Lei currently lives in Fairfax County, Virginia. She works as a clinical microbiologist
for the Inova Health System, performing clinical tests for pathogens
such as the coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic.

A writer of both fiction and nonfiction, Monica earned her MFA in creative writing
at George Mason University. She lives in Maryland with her husband, three children, and her cat.
She now works at Bowie State University.