When I was in the kindergarten level at school, the colorful illustrations from the Myanmar textbook were more interesting to me than the texts and the paragraphs. They incorporated the cultural ornaments and daily substances which were uncommon to see near me. Myanmar textbooks throughout my school years always appealed my study interest more than any other subjects because I enjoyed the rhymes of poems, the dramatic use of words, the cultural insights, and the historical context they carry.
After finishing my matriculation exam, I attended the NMDC college, majoring in Tourism & Hospitality management. However, at the end of the first year first semester, the Covid broke out and I got plenty of leisure to delve more into the cultures of different ethnicities in Myanmar. I shared my cultural knowledge on the social media and gathered people with common interest for discussions. We set up a page to spread cultural awareness which achieved the public interest and there were also SEA groups where I was active to share about our culture. The experience I gained were invaluable as they taught me cultural diversity and the interconnectedness between each culture.
As the coup took place, I boycotted to attend my previous college. Then, I worked at a travel company while attending the UoPeople online university with the scholarship. I was capable of managing my assignments and work but I had the desire to enjoy the university student life. Then, I encountered APU Ritsumeikan university which not only offers scholarship but also has the major I am really passionate about, CSM (Culture, Society & Media), which has a mix of Asia Pacific culture, humanities, sociology and media impact.
I discussed with my family and opened up them that I would like to apply the scholarship and the major was made for me. I am certain that I would be putting my absolute effort into something I enjoy studying and I am committed to devote my concentration to the subject. My strong determination to be proficient in learning cultures and to enter the society of intellectual people with the same interest as me motivate me to bring out bigger potential within me.
Although, I am reasonably certain that I would be excellent at my studies but financial burden is making me and my family anxious about enrolling in the sequent years. My father, the sole breadwinner of the family, is now 65 years old and he is still working at a company and earns less than 100USD per month although his age has surpassed the retirement age. My first college fee was paid with the savings of my parents as they want to support me and I assured them that I would be working part-time jobs there. However, I don’t want to lose my priority of studying so I am here to kindly ask for the remaining 50% of scholarship which would be significantly beneficial to me. I would be extremely thankful if Prospect Burma can support me in achieving my goals.