By Beam Staff

If you come from an area of Myanmar that makes it difficult to get a good education, you are not alone. There is, however, hope! Ying Phwe Lao Khay’s story is a story of struggle, determination and success.

“I am a Shan (Tai), originating from Mong Tong, a town located in the mountainous Eastern Shan State, east of the Salween River, and close to the Thai border. While Mong Tong is rich in ethnic diversity and thrives on agriculture, it grapples with a severe challenge: drug trafficking, a major problem in our region,” she says.

“When I was 20, I applied for two scholarships, Child’s Dream and Prospect Burma, because I wanted the opportunity to shed light on the realities of my hometown and foster greater understanding among people,” Ying Phwe Lao Khay says.

There were many obstacles for Ying Phwe Lao Khay in terms of what she could do to get a quality education. She didn’t know where to begin.

“I was unadvised and adrift. I tried for the scholarship with my own capabilities for the first attempt. After facing rejection from scholarship applications, then I had a crucial realization: I needed to significantly improve my skills and broaden my general knowledge to become truly qualified for an international university,” she says.

“But I was still unsupported and helpless. Since I didn’t have the support, either with money or education, I knew I had to rely completely on myself,” she says.  “Before I found BEAM, I spent most of my time doing everything I could to get ready, like practicing and building up my English skills. I just did my absolute best with what I had. Then, when I found the BEAM CYLD program, it really pushed meto get better at leadership.”

Ying Phwe Lao Khay successfully applied for a GED scholarship at BEAM Education Foundation, where she studied with international teachers for ten months. With results that she could be proud of, she knew she had to take the next challenge of attaining a scholarship.

“I’ve known about the Child Dream scholarship since 2021, when I was looking for information to pursue a quality university education,” Ying Phwe Lai Khay says.  “After finding out that this scholarship program gives financial support to youths from poor backgrounds to develop future leaders, it has been my target ever since.”

“As soon as I saw the scholarship result, I wept,” she says.

“I said to myself, ‘Finally, my day has come!’ And the meaning of ‘success’ that I always affirm to myself, echoed in my head,” she says. “I got four rejections before this. My parents said, ‘when it is out of reach you have to accept the results.’ I did accept but I never gave up!”

Ying Phwe Lao Khay was awarded with a full scholarship from Child’s Dream to pursue a degree in Media and Communications at Bangkok University.

There is no doubt that Ying Phwe Lao Khay has some significant plans to support the positive growth of Myanmar.

“After graduating with a media and communication major, I plan to join an independent media company. My work will focus on three crucial areas in rural Myanmar:boosting access to quality education for young people, promoting sustainable practices to protect our vital natural resources, and fostering decent work opportunities and economic growth,” Ying Phwe Lao Khay says.

“To understand the nuances of disadvantages and foster decent work and economic growth in this specific region of Shan State, data collection, surveys, and community dialogues are needed to generate findings.

I aim to create a team and communicate the findings with local communities and policymakers through powerful storytelling and articulate media products. This will help civilians better understand how to strivefor quality education, the importance of environmental care, and the pathways to equitable economic opportunities.

By improving local conditions in education, the environment, and economic opportunities, people will have less reason to leave their homes and seek work or better lives through irregular or unauthorized means. This is because one of the reasons for ‘illegal migration’ is driven by a lack of opportunities and disadvantages,” she says.

Ying Phwe Lao Khay is the first to admit that BEAM has given her many treasured memories and recommends the CYLD course highly.

“The GED class at BEAM will offer a true experience of quality education. During the training period, you will not feel left out as all the teachers, Sayama Rachel, Sayama Phyu Phyu Khin, Saya David, Saya Abdul, Sayama Brianna, and coordinator Ma Naw Nu Wah will occasionally check on your participation in class and outside of class,” she says. “This ensures doing GED at BEAM is effective even though it is an online program.”

“Beam creates a supportive environment where teachers and fellow students are always ready to provide help and support. At Beam, we embrace the idea that everyone is unique and valuable. Also, that  we should truly believe in ourselves, Ying Phwe Lao Khay says. “I wholeheartedly want to show my deepest appreciation to BEAM Education Foundation.”

Now, as an experienced scholarship applicant, Ying Phwe Lao Khay has two key tips for those interested in applying for scholarships.

“Maintain positive self-assuredness- Sure rejections are possible, but use them to redirect your approach and be tenacious. I wrote countless scholarship essays but ended up with the honest and simple one that truly reflected my hard work, stories and my determination.  Despite uncertainty, just trust the process, be persistent, be present, be steadfast and be imperturbable.

Keep a Community Spirit- Don’t work on yourself to get this scholarship just only for yourself but for collective well-being. Every time I faced challenges in pursuing this scholarship journey, I encouraged myself that I must move forwards for those farmers and youths who may need me for better living and unlocking their full potential.”

If you are considering the BEAM CYLD course for next year, make sure you have a strong level of English so you can blitz the application and interview. And you may want to take a good look at more success stories by clicking here.