The middle child among my siblings, I was born and raised in the town of Palaw, where I attended elementary school. We relocated to Dawei in 2008, where I continued at No. 1 Basic Education High School. My father is the head of our family and our primary provider, and he and my mother ensured I attended classes and received the guidance I needed to keep up with my peers. They encouraged us to pursue higher education without imposing their own ambitions, guiding us to believe in our goals and to use adversity as motivation.
From a young age, I loved playing with building blocks, creating fortresses and defending them in water balloon battles. I didn’t know much about physics then, but I understood that an incoming force needed a counterforce to hold a structure together. That curiosity about how things are built sparked an interest in physics that became my favorite subject in high school.
In 2015, I passed the matriculation exam with distinctions in physics and biology, and gained acceptance into an engineering program in Myanmar. While studying at the Technological University, I collaborated with classmates on a multi-purpose reservoir project involving scheduling, surveying, calculating, and modeling water flow for hydroelectric power. The project aimed to store water for farming, provide flood control, and supply hydroelectricity to Kalonta village. We achieved first runner-up at the Projects and Poster Show 2019 and showcased the project at the Dawei city town hall.
In my first year of civil engineering, my family built a new two-storey house, and I participated in every stage from excavation to decoration. Basketball and hiking are my hobbies. I won first prize in the 2018 Rainy Season 5-on-5 Basketball Competition and served as leader of my university’s Hiking Club, where I organized community projects including flood relief fundraising and COVID-19 support initiatives.
About Wine
- Age: 27
- Ethnicity: Burmese
- Country: Myanmar
School & Program
- King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang
- Bachelor’s, Engineering Management & Entrepreneurship
- 3rd Year in Program
Goals & Dreams
- Become a project manager and design engineer
- Visit Phon Kan Razi in Kachin State
Loan Details
- Loan Amount: $2,700
- Amount Left To Fund: $2,400
- Contract Duration: 11 years
- Status: In School
In my fourth and fifth years, I studied Theories of Structures, Foundation Engineering, Construction Engineering Management, Reinforced Concrete Structures, and Estimating and Costing. Unfortunately, I could only study these practical subjects for one semester before COVID-19 closed my university.
During that time, I took classes in AutoCAD and SketchUp and interned as a site engineer at a local construction site for a year, facing challenges that strengthened my resolve to complete my degree abroad with access to more advanced methods and techniques.
I spent three months preparing for the IELTS exam, which I sat at the British Council in January 2023, while also interning as a graphic designer at Victoria Academy International School. I then applied to King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL) in Thailand and was awarded a full tuition scholarship to study Engineering Management and Entrepreneurship.
The leadership, teamwork, and communication skills I developed as a construction site intern and community leader will support my studies at KMITL. With Zomia’s support, I am confident I can become a skilled and qualified engineering manager, bringing modern construction techniques and sustainable practices back to Myanmar.
Written by Wine with editing assistance from Zomia’s volunteer editors.
Wine
“I understood that an incoming force needed a counterforce to hold a structure together. That curiosity about how things are built has never left me.”
