Since I started school, every morning my mother would iron my clothes and tell me, “You need to carefully watch what I’m doing so that you can take care of yourself when I die.” These words were drilled into my head for the next twenty years. After a serious financial crisis in the family, my mother had to become the sole breadwinner. I think she knew from that point that her children needed to grow up quickly. Although working as a swimming teacher damaged her health, she never gave up.
Seeing my mother work so hard under harsh conditions made my sister and me feel so guilty about spending her hard-earned money that we rarely went out with friends or asked for anything. Our only joy was watching TV. When I was young, there weren’t many interesting programs. The one I enjoyed most involved kids playing games and winning prizes.
It was fascinating to watch children my age laughing and having fun. They felt like my friends. What I looked forward to most was the ending, when the lovely presenter would call sponsors onto the stage and they would give out umbrellas, backpacks, water bottles, stationery, and more. I so badly wanted to be one of those children. That is when I first became curious about broadcasting stations and their shows, even though it felt so far out of reach.
Then, in 2019, I had an incredible chance to visit the headquarters of Voice of America in Washington D.C. Seeing and hearing people working on broadcasts in different languages was like a dream for a language lover like me. Just a single hour-long tour brought back the little girl who had jumped up and down in front of the TV. That is when I realized that bringing important and entertaining content to an audience fits my personality perfectly, and that I was always meant to do this.
About Su
- Age: 24
- Ethnicity: Burmese
- Country: Myanmar
School & Program
- Thammasat University
- Bachelor’s, Journalism (Media Studies)
- 3rd Year in Program
Goals & Dreams
- Become a media specialist
- Create an independent media company
- Travel to South Korea
Loan Details
- Loan Amount: $1,000
- Amount Left To Fund: $975
- Contract Duration: 10 years
- Status: In School
From volunteering at the TEDx Yangon event, to working as a media observer for the 2020 election, to interning as a radio host, I worked hard to fill my knowledge with every resource available. I became more and more certain of my path as someone who brings light to the essential issues in our daily lives. I thought of that TV program I loved as a child and imagined creating a show that would be informative and stay forever in someone’s memory. That is why I decided to study Journalism and Media Studies.
My goal is to create an independent media company that reaches directly into households across Myanmar, delivering news that is relevant yet engaging enough that listeners never feel overwhelmed or bored. During my radio internship, I noticed that Myanmar lacks the technology to measure viewer and listener rates, a gap that has been a key reason radio stations are struggling. I hope to study at Thammasat University not just to learn, but to build connections that can help bring new technologies and talents to Myanmar’s media industry. As someone who speaks three languages, I am confident I can expand my network within Bangkok’s growing international community.
Media, known as the fourth pillar of democracy, has suffered serious blows in Myanmar in recent years. It will need as much help as it can get when the time comes to rebuild. I want to be part of that. With Zomia’s support and my own effort, I hope to start laying the groundwork for what comes next.
Written by Su with editing assistance from Holland, one of Zomia’s volunteer editors.
Su
“Media, known as the fourth pillar of democracy, has suffered serious blows in Myanmar in recent years. It will need as much help as it can get when the time comes to rebuild. I want to be part of that.”
