In January 2009, I traveled to the Thailand-Burma border with a group of students from American University. During the trip, I met Ying Kawn Tai, a 23-year old girl from Shan state in Burma.
Ying told us her story. It was heartbreaking.
I will never forget the last part of her story - the part where Ying broke down and cried to our group and said,
"All I want is to go to school."
I was shocked. My parents spent thousands of dollars for me to fly halfway around the world to Thailand just to hear that one sentence. How privileged I was; how lucky. I took a college education for granted.
Ying’s story has since changed my life, and now I want to change hers. With your help, now is our chance to give Ying an education.
On October 9, 2011, I started walking north from Rangoon, bound for Mandalay 450 miles away. My trek was done in honor of Ying's education to raise $26,220, the cost of a full college scholarship for Ying Kawn Tai. Though the trek ended for unavoidable reasons, the ultimate goal of sending Ying to college hasn't changed.
As changes come to Burma, the country needs leaders like Ying now more than ever before. I hope you will join me in making her dream to go to school a reality. We're not only changing her life, but those she reaches through education for generations to come, forever.
Scholarships for Burma is a 501(c)(3) project of the Human Rights Action Center
