My name is Yamin, and I was born and raised in the countryside of Pyapon, Ayeyarwady. I have a deep desire to develop a leadership mindset and make a positive impact on my community. With this loan, I aim to pursue my dreams, and create a better future for myself and those around me.
My childhood was filled with love and happiness as I am the only child in my family. At the age of 6, I began attending school in Pyapon. Moreover, my parents always wanted me to have a good education, so I took extra classes outside of school. I consistently ranked within the top 10 students in my class since Grade 1. In 2014, when I was in Grade 7, a significant turning point occurred in my life. My father’s business, which involved exporting fish from our region to Yangon, was adversely affected by the shortage of fish in the river and mismanagement of fishing market organizations.
However, he managed to invest in his friend’s business, and this yielded a monthly profit of around 600 baht. Despite facing financial hardships, my parents, especially my mother, a housewife, encouraged me not to worry and to focus on my studies.
This experience taught me the value of maturity and instilled in me a sense of responsibility. I realized that I needed to study harder than others because I was the only hope of my parents, and the key to their pride and future. Throughout middle and high school, I excelled academically and actively participated in sports, winning prizes at school-level competitions. I also achieved success in the Mathematics Olympiad at the township level from Grades 6 to 10 and participated in the Outstanding Student Competition in Grade 9. After passing the matriculation exam, my parents encouraged me to pursue engineering in Yangon instead of studying closer to home. I was fortunate to secure admission to Yangon Technological University’s Chemical Engineering program and to live in an apartment that my father had purchased when I was four years old.
About Yamin
- Age: 22
- Ethnicity: Burmese, Chinese
- Country: Myanmar
School & Program
- King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang
- Bachelor’s, Civil Engineering
- 2nd Year in Program
Goals & Dreams
- Become a construction or environmental engineer
- Improve the world through my engineering
- Travel to Switzerland
Loan Details
- Loan Amount: $3,225
- Amount Left To Fund: $3,125
- Contract Duration: 11 years
- Status: In School
During my first year at university, I developed a strong passion for the general course, particularly through practical experiments and assignments in engineering mathematics, physics, and chemistry. In the second year, as I delved deeper into engineering concepts, my desire for innovation and contribution to society grew even stronger. My dream at that time was to finish my bachelor’s degree as soon as possible to support my parents. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the political coup, I was unable to attend university for over two years. Nevertheless, this unexpected break from studying allowed me to reflect on myself and discover alternative ways to support my community.
First, I volunteered as a moderator of Duolingo Study Camp organized by Myanmar New Generation Association (MNGA) in December 2021. Subsequently, I joined AIESEC in Myanmar as a logistics and delegate service member. I actively participated in various events and held roles such as marketing member, external and international relations team leader, and logistics and delegate service team leader. Through these volunteer experiences, which spanned over a year, I discovered my inner abilities and developed a passion for a future career.
Throughout my life, education has been paramount in fostering positive change in my country. Therefore, I needed to finish my bachelor’s degree. As KMITL offers a freshman scholarship for civil engineering, I decided to seize this opportunity to study in Thailand. I was honored to receive a half scholarship, yet my parents could only support me for 25% of the remaining expenses. Hence, I sought a loan to fund my further education.
Overall, I firmly believe that engineering serves as the backbone of technological innovation, and studying at KMITL will provide me with a practical environment to boost my skills. As a civil engineer, I aspire to contribute to the world by ensuring access to vital water resources and promoting environmental sustainability. Although I am aware that challenges lie ahead, I am confident that this educational journey will shape my future career, expose me to diverse cultures, help me forge new friendships, and ultimately help me make meaningful contributions to Myanmar and humanity as a whole. The support of a Zomia loan not only enables my personal growth but also empowers me to positively impact my community.
Written by Yamin with editing assistance from Zomia’s volunteer editors.
Yamin
“By utilizing the loan to pursue my career as an environmental or construction engineer, I can contribute to building a sustainable environment, designing resilient structures to protect against natural disasters, developing vital water resources, and implementing urban development projects.”