My name is Alice. I grew up in Myanmar, and I had a dream that never really left me: I wanted to study. Not because it was trendy, and not because everyone around me was doing it, but for a personal reason. I wanted to see the world in a new way, to sit in a classroom with people from different countries, and to think in new ways. I wanted to come away knowing I had truly pushed myself beyond what was comfortable and familiar.
In 2023, I received a scholarship to ITIM Tourism School in Thailand. I was very happy. I had made it. I was finally doing it. But after a few months, I had a quiet and uncomfortable realization: this was not actually what I wanted. Tourism was not my passion. Continuing just because I already had the scholarship would have been the easy choice, but it would have been the wrong one. So I did something that scared me. I left.
In 2024, I transferred to KMITL, where I now study Innovation and Technology with a major in Technological Marketing. From the moment I started, it felt right. I have always loved the creative side of things. I love making graphics, building content, and telling stories, and my major brings all of that together with marketing strategy.
Beyond my studies, I am interning in a communications role at the Thai-Norwegian Chamber of Commerce. I also volunteer with Sabai Job, supporting migrant workers in Thailand as part of a marketing team, a project that has been highlighted through the YSEALI SEED Program. My future goal is to give back to communities in Myanmar through my skills and knowledge, and that is why this work matters to me.
My uncle has been very helpful. He works as a manager at the Hilton Hotel in Abu Dhabi and is one of the hardest-working people I know. When I told him I wanted to switch schools and keep studying in Thailand, he said yes without hesitation. He became my sponsor, my safety net, and one of my biggest sources of motivation.
About Alice
- Age: 26
- Ethnicity: Burmese
- Country: Myanmar
School & Program
- King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang
- Bachelor’s, Business Administration
- 3rd Year in Program
Goals & Dreams
- Run a business that both helps people and makes money
- Travel to Europe
Loan Details
- Loan Amount: $2,475
- Amount Left To Fund: $2,475
- Contract Duration: 11 years
- Status: In School
Home in Myanmar, things have never been easy. The past few years have been especially hard for my family. After the coup, my father lost his job, and our family income now comes entirely from a beverage shop my parents run every day. There is a kind of resilience in that which I carry with me everywhere.
Then, in April 2025, an earthquake struck Myanmar, with the epicenter in my hometown. I remember the messages coming in, the photos of damage, the neighbors who were displaced. Our own home was affected, and my family was dealing with repairs while also trying to keep the shop running. I was in Bangkok. I was away, and I felt helpless. They told me to stay and keep studying. That is the kind of people they are.
Then my uncle’s situation changed. The UAE tourism industry took a hit because of the current political situation there, and the hotel put him on leave. He had to move out of Abu Dhabi, and the financial support he had been sending me was gone, overnight. It was not his fault. It was not my fault.
So here I am. I am still enrolled at KMITL. I am still interning. I am still showing up every day. I am not someone who gives up easily, and I think my story shows that. My future goal is simple but meaningful: I want to use what I am learning here to support businesses and communities in Myanmar, and to contribute my skills and knowledge in whatever way I can.
I am applying to Zomia because I need a bridge, a way to keep going now that the path forward has gotten difficult. I am not looking for someone to hand me a future. I have already been building mine, one decision at a time. I just need the support to finish what I started.
Written by Alice with editing assistance from Zomia’s volunteer editors.
Alice
“I am not looking for someone to hand me a future. I have already been building mine, one decision at a time. I just need the support to finish what I started.”
