My name is Paris. I was born in Myanmar. In my family, there are four members: my father, mother, elder brother, and me. I am the youngest.
My father is the only breadwinner for our family. In the past, he was a government staff working under the Ministry of Electricity and Energy, so our family had to stay in a government apartment. As a staff member, he received a regular monthly salary. His salary was quite small, however, so my parents were unable to adequately support my education. Therefore, I attended public school throughout my student life.
After high school, my parents forced me to apply for admission to Myanmar Aerospace Engineering University (MAEU). In my first year at MAEU, I stayed in a government hostel. However, things became very challenging after I finished my first year.
At that time, my father retired from his job due to his age. Our family’s regular income stream stopped, and we were no longer allowed to stay in a government apartment. We rented a house to earn an income. In my second year at MAEU, my father’s inherited small estate was sold. By selling the estate, we received just enough money to pay off our debts and buy a small house.
In my third year, the pandemic ended our education. My brother had almost graduated but was unable to find a job because he had not earned a degree. Currently, our family depends on my father’s retirement pension, which is why my parents can no longer provide funds for my education. Therefore, I must find a way to continue my education on my own.
During my studies at MAEU, I realized that I was not born to be an aircraft engineer. I worked loads of extracurricular activities both on-campus and off, not only for my community service-oriented mindset but also in an attempt to find my passion. Finally, I concluded that I was not interested in aerospace engineering.
About Paris
- Age: 23
- Ethnicity: Burmese
- Country: Myanmar
School & Program
- Ton Duc Thang University
- Bachelor’s, Marketing
- 3rd Year in Program
Goals & Dreams
- Become a marketing specialist
- Travel to Europe
Loan Details
- Loan Amount: $3,975
- Amount Left To Fund: $3,275
- Contract Duration: 11 years
- Status: In School
In fact, I am passionate about studying Marketing because of my childhood experience. When I was a child, my father received a small estate from his parents as an inheritance. This provided hope to our family that we might solve our financial problems. My father tried to sell his property by advertising in a newspaper. However, he was not able to sell it for more than ten years. Eventually, he decided to contact an agent to sell his estate. To our surprise, it was sold at a fair price within one month.
The difference between my father and the agent was one of marketing strategy. The agent set a strategy and made an interesting content video on social media by explaining why people should invest their money in the area. This moment taught me how important strategic marketing is in appealing to a target audience.
Because of this real estate agent, I developed an interest in learning more about the business world, particularly marketing. I began to study business-related courses on online platforms. These experiences helped me realize that I wanted to study marketing more formally and earn a degree.
A Zomia loan would allow me to transform my specialization from the field of engineering to business, which I am more passionate about. Moreover, this loan will help ease my financial hardships while I focus on my academic development. Receiving a Zomia loan would be a life-changing opportunity, allowing me to fulfill my dream of becoming a marketing specialist.
Written by Paris with editing assistance from Zomia’s volunteer editors.
Paris
“I want to be a marketing specialist, specifically in the real estate industry, who helps promote sales for international real estate companies operating in Myanmar.”