My name is Robin. I come from a lower-middle-class family in Yangon, Myanmar. My father was unwell and unable to work from when I was young, and my mother was a housewife who served as both mother and father figure to me.
My parents faced many hardships in their own lives due to a lack of education, so their expectations for their children were high. They wanted us to have comfortable, enjoyable lives, but life does not always go as planned.
Despite facing many financial difficulties, and with the enormous support of my mother, I passed the matriculation exam with five distinctions.
I got my first laptop after high school, and from that point my interest in computers grew steadily. I decided to pursue computer science, aiming to help address technology challenges in Myanmar. I am also a devoted fan of computer games and used to play them competitively, designing games as a hobby on the side.
I was able to study information technology in Yangon for a few years until the COVID-19 outbreak disrupted my academic career. During that long break, I studied game design and programming at home before deciding to continue my education in Thailand, drawn by its stable environment, strong faculty, and access to good facilities. I believe studying abroad gives me a better chance of safe and productive learning experiences, and I look forward to contributing what I have learned when I return home.
My mother and aunt decided I should enroll at Rangsit University as soon as possible given the situation in Myanmar, despite our financial hardships. I had never traveled abroad before, so leaving my mother and everyone behind was a very big step. I arrived in Thailand in 2021. At first, I struggled with the local language and food, but I adapted thanks to the friendliness of the locals and the friends I made. The experience taught me to cope with hardship and remain open to new possibilities.
About Robin
- Ethnicity: Burmese
- Country: Myanmar
School & Program
- Rangsit University
- Bachelor’s, Information & Communication Technology
- 5th Year in Program
Goals & Dreams
- Contribute to Myanmar’s technological development
- Learn to sing and play an instrument
- Become a professional gamer
Loan Details
- Loan Amount: $10,750
- Amount Left To Fund: $10,525
- Contract Duration: 15 years
- Status: In School
While adjusting to life in Thailand, I lost my father to COVID-19 during a severe outbreak in Myanmar. Three days later, my mother also passed away from the virus. That loss brought enormous grief and financial difficulty, and I had to accept that the plans I had made for myself would never work out the same way. I would have to adapt and be flexible with the cards I had been dealt.
Since then, my aunt has been supporting me, but as she is near retirement age and has a family of her own, I knew I would need further help in the form of scholarships or student loans. After many unsuccessful scholarship applications, I concluded that a student loan was the most logical path forward. I am determined to finish my degree at Rangsit University and build programs and platforms that can help Myanmar in the technology field, making my late parents proud.
Written by Robin with editing assistance from Holland, one of Zomia’s volunteer editors.
Robin
“I had to accept that the plans I had made for myself would never work out the same way. I would have to adapt and be flexible with the cards I had been dealt.”