My name is Theint, and I was born in 1994. I was raised in a village in Mansi Township of Kachin State, Myanmar. I completed my primary and secondary education in my village.
In 2008, I moved to Bhamo to continue my education, as there was no high school in my village. Being farmers and having four children, my parents struggled to pay my tuition fees and other related expenses. However, they always encouraged me to pursue better educational opportunities.
Amidst many challenges, I have always focused on my dream to pursue a quality higher education. With that aspiration, I passed the matriculation examination with one distinction and was qualified to enter a bachelor’s program in Mathematics at Bhamo University in 2010.
After graduation, I joined Pinnya Tagar Academy (PTA), a community-based school in Myitkyina, to study community development and leadership. Initially, I lacked the confidence to express my opinions openly in class. Later, that unhappy experience became my motivation to commit myself fully to educating and improving myself.
I take my academic journey seriously, as I have a clear vision of what I intend to do in the future. At PTA, I engaged in a service learning program and was awarded the “Social Service Award” on the recommendation of the community-based organizations I served.
In 2016, I was given additional tasks by the school to implement the Central Internal Activator Agency (CIAA) project and empower children and young people by providing an English learning program. While working there, I not only gained teaching experience but also learned the importance of pedagogical coaching in creating a holistic and systematic learning environment.
About Theint
- Ethnicity: Burmese, Shan
- Country: Myanmar
School & Program
- Assumption University
- Master’s, Education
- Graduated
Goals & Dreams
- Become an education specialist
- Improve formal education for children in Myanmar’s conflict zones
Loan Details
- Loan Amount: $5,325
- Amount Left To Fund: $5,000
- Contract Duration: 12 years
- Status: In Deferment
After finishing my studies at PTA, I worked for about three years with the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), an international faith-based organization providing teacher training to community teachers and serving victims of war in both government and non-government-controlled areas in Kachin State.
As an education officer, my main responsibilities included training and coaching teachers in IDP camps and conflict-affected villages. I began to better understand the lack of quality education opportunities and the pedagogical needs of teachers in these areas.
I was also given an opportunity to observe the new-curriculum teacher trainings organized by the Ministry of Education. I witnessed how poor the pedagogy and instructional trainings given to hundreds of government teachers were. In 2020, I was sponsored by Prospect Burma to study IELTS at the British Council in Yangon.
These experiences motivated me to engage in further studies focusing on curriculum and instruction. In the future, using the knowledge and skills gained from my master’s program, I hope to help teachers improve their instructional skills and teach students more effectively.
Written by Theint with editing assistance from Zomia’s volunteer editors.
Theint
“Amidst many challenges, I have always focused on my dream to pursue a quality higher education.”