June

      Hello everyone. My name is June. I’m from Lang Hkur, Shan State, Burma. I would like to tell you about my story and how I came here.
      I’m an ordinary 23-year-old girl with simple dreams. I planned that after I graduated university, I would go to work and help support my family. However, there was a coup in Myanmar in 2021 after I had finished my first year of university, and the situation changed. My plan became impossible. After the coup, many people were killed, the internet and electricity were cut-off, and everyone was afraid. Young people like us who were trying to achieve our dreams in our country had to lose our dreams because of the military coup.
      Last year I didn't know what to do because I lost myself. I stayed at home in Lang Hkur and helped with my aunt’s hair salon business. Then I started to study my second year at university. I got to know new friends and I realized that I wanted to improve myself and achieve my dream. I realized that I didn’t have time to waste while other people were trying hard and searching for opportunities to achieve their dreams. Finally, I knew that staying at home would not help me achieve anything, so I came here to Thailand. I always remember the saying, ‘No matter what you are going through today, do not give up. As long as there is life, there is hope.’
      My future goal is to study business management at a university here in Thailand. I need opportunities to develop my skills, such as communication and public presentation, in order to improve my future career options.
      The reason I study at BSC is that I want to speak with more confidence. English is necessary if you want to apply to university and go abroad. I had studied at an English school in Myanmar when I was younger, but I had a bad experience and it made me have trauma about speaking, especially to large groups. But after studying at BSC, I can feel that I have much more confidence than before and I have improved my skills a lot. Therefore, I can say that BSC is definitely helping me improve, and I plan to continue studying and improving my English.

Bank

      Hi everyone, my name is Bank. I am Shan, and I grew up in Mong Ton, southeast Shan State. Currently, I work at Roast8ry Specialty Coffee Lab in Chiang Mai. I have been studying at BSC since 2020. Before I studied here, I could not speak any English. I did not understand any words in English at all.
      At my work, there are a lot of foreign customers. When they used to ask me questions, I could not understand anything, even though they asked me easy questions, like “Where is the bathroom?” I was not able to answer them. At that time, I really wanted to study English and I was looking for a school. I heard about BSC from my friend and I applied. Now I can communicate with foreigners in English. I can search for information about coffee on the internet in English, and I can explain interesting details about coffee to customers.
      I am really proud of myself for improving my English skills. In the past, some of my co-workers always looked down on me because I am a Shan migrant. They laughed when customers spoke to me in English and I didn’t understand. I always felt sad and upset. It was embarrassing for me. However, I never gave up. Now I can speak English better than all of my co-workers!
      In the future, I want to be a perfect barista, and I also want to improve my pronunciation to be perfect. BSC has been helping me a lot to improve my English skills. Without BSC, it would have been almost impossible for me to improve my opportunities in life. I would like to say ‘thank you’ to all of BSC’s teachers for giving me a big opportunity to study here.

La Yaung

      Hello everyone. My name is La Yaung. I am from the central area of Myanmar, and I am 30 years old. I currently work as a journalist for exiled media.
      When I was still living in Myanmar, I never imagined that one day I would have to come here to Thailand as an illegal immigrant. However, after the military coup took place in Myanmar 2021, I joined the Civil Disobedience Movement, or CDM. I was also working as a deputy inspector for the national Anti-Corruption Commission under the previous government. Therefore, the military government wanted to arrest me after the coup.
      I lived in hiding in my native town, and then went to hide in Yangon for almost a year. Finally, I was arrested with two other young activists in Mon State. I was released from prison after two days of interrogation, and I fled to Thailand at the end of 2022 because I feared I would be arrested again.
      When I first arrived in Chiang Mai, I was lucky to meet a Grab motorbike driver from Shan State. I told him about my story, and I told him that my goal was to study at Chiang Mai University in the future. The driver told me about Burma Study Center. He said it’s a good place that helps migrants with education, and he brought me to apply.
      After more than a year, I am still really happy to study at BSC. Before BSC, I had not practiced my English skills or worked on my personal development skills for several years. Now, I am learning English with Teacher Garrett. My future goal is to be able to read English literature without any translation. I also want to study more at university about corruption. I believe that BSC is a very good school. I am thankful to have an excellent opportunity to learn English with the patient teachers here.

Di Lay

      My name is Di Lay. I am 26 years old. I am from Karenni State in Myanmar. I currently work as an accountant for small businesses in Chiang Mai, and I study at BSC to improve my English skills.
      I have been living here in Thailand for two years, since 2022. Before I came here, I never thought I would have to live in Thailand. However, after the 2021 military coup in Myanmar, I joined protests against the military dictators. After the coup, Burmese soldiers used weapons against normal people. They destroyed many houses in Karenni villages by setting them on fire. As the conflict got more and more intense, my family and I had to move from place to place for our safety.
      In 2022, I told my family I wanted to cross the border to come to Thailand. My parents told me, “Here the situation is not good. If you stay here, you will not be able to develop yourself or work for your future.” They encouraged me to leave our country. The last time I saw my mother father, older sister, and older brother was somewhere in the jungle about four hours from the Thai border.
      One day earlier this year, I saw a post on social media about the opportunity to study English at BSC. The school is open mainly to people from Myanmar, and the school fee is almost free. After I saw the information, I came to apply to study. I was so motivated and excited to start studying.
      I have a future plan to support my family and my community in Karenni State. Even though I am not living there, I will never forget my home society. That is why I am working hard in Chiang Mai, and I need to improve my English skills for my work.
BSC has helped me to improve my English in many ways. Before I started studying at BSC, I was not confident in English, but now I feel I have improved a lot. I have much more confidence than before. Thank you to BSC for your support and for teaching me!

Daow

      Hi, everyone. My name is Daow, and I am Shan. I have studied at four different Thai schools in Chiang Mai. I’m currently studying at Chiang Mai Vocational College in the Tourism Industry department hotel program.
      After I learned how important English is, I started getting serious about learning English in 2019. After I studied English for a few years, I started speaking more naturally and understanding everything more clearly. English has completely changed my life. I’ve got many new friends, new communities, and also opportunities because of my language skills. For example, I now have many foreign friends from all over the world. I also recently got a good opportunity to start working at a restaurant because they needed to hire someone who can speak English with customers.
      My future plans and goals are to never stop learning new things and getting new experiences. I am planning to apply to study at the Faculty of Humanities at Chiang Mai University soon. After I graduate, my dream is to live and work in Krabi in southern Thailand as a hotel receptionist or a tour guide. One of my biggest goals is to become a flight attendant in the future.
      I chose to study at BSC because I wanted to continue developing my English skills and be more serious about learning, including making new friends from other places. BSC has taught me so many things, and has also given me lots of opportunities that are really useful and important to me for my future. For example, I’ve learned a lot from many teachers with different styles. It helps me to realize what I really need to improve. I’ve learned that there are so many nice people in our society. I’ve also been able to learn about what is really happening in Burma. Lastly, I feel really proud and thankful to myself for choosing to study at BSC!

Nam Nueng

      Hi, everyone! My name is Nam Nueng. I am 27 years-old, and my family is from Hsi Hseng in Shan State. I am Shan, and I’ve been living in Thailand for more than 10 years. I currently work at a car care business.
      I started to study English at BSC in July 2019. On the first day I came to study at BSC, I was so excited to start challenging myself. I only knew a few simple words in English, and I didn't even understand what the teacher was explaining, but I didn’t give up. I knew exactly what I wanted: to be able to speak English.
      My first teacher was Sai Hkur. He influenced and encouraged me a lot to speak English. All of my teachers at BSC—including Wong Lurn, Fiona, Zulu, and Garrett—have worked so hard to help me improve my English skills. I really appreciate all of my teachers so much. When I think back to the first day I came to BSC five years ago, I realize that my English skills have completely come so far. This makes me feel so proud of myself, even though I still need to learn a lot. I'm willing to do that because this is my dream.
      I have gotten a lot of great benefits and experiences here at BSC, such as community, nice environment, good friends, and knowledge. Our teachers here are so kind, friendly, and always helpful. Also, all of my classmates and all of the students here are so nice to me. One thing that I really love is our activities because I like to exchange ideas and have fun together with other students. It makes my good memories even more memorable. I’ve studied at BSC for a long time, and I will continue in the future because my goal is to communicate in English very well and fluently.

Nikorn

      I would like to introduce myself. My name is Sai Kyaw Nyunt, or better known as Nikorn. I was born in northern Shan State, Myanmar. I came to Thailand in 2003. I have been living here in Chiang Mai for 20 years. The reason that I came here is to make money to support my family and myself. I was born in a poor family and we sometimes didn’t have enough food to eat. There are very few jobs available in my hometown. Most people are simple farmers.
      I started learning English in 2011 at Wat Pa Pao, a Shan temple. I studied there for two years, then moved to study at SEED Learning Center for two years. In 2021, I saw a post on Facebook about BSC. Fortunately, I was able to start the term in the Level 1 class. After the first month, I asked if I could move to Level 2 because I wanted to challenge myself. After finishing two terms at BSC, I moved up to Level 3.
      When I look back from where I began, I am really proud of myself. I am so lucky that I am surrounded by great teachers and classmates who help me to improve my English skills. Without these people, I would not be where I am today. Without BSC, I would not be able to communicate in English as I am communicating with you now. BSC has not only given me knowledge, but has also given me a new community and mindset.
      In the past, we migrant workers from Myanmar didn’t really understand the value of education because of culture and social norms. We just focused on working hard and making money as much as possible to support our families back home. Most migrant workers start as unskilled laborers, so I encourage all migrants to change your life by improving your English skills. It will help you get a skilled job in the near future. Your future is in your hands. Keep fighting!

Fon

      Hello, everyone. My name is Fon. I was born in Chiang Mai, but actually I’m Shan. I’m currently studying at Wattanothaipayap High School, majoring in English and Chinese languages.
      When I was 14 years old, one of my classmates suggested I should study at Burma Study Center, or BSC. I studied for almost two years with Teachers Sai Hkur, Wong Lurn, Nutt, and Fiona. I am really grateful for them. They helped me improve my English a lot. I learned a lot about grammar rules, reading comprehension, and pronunciation. All of the teachers have good teaching skills, and are very open-minded. Especially Teachers Sai Hkur and Fiona, they always try to make their classes interesting with several fun games. I also got many new good friends at BSC during that time.
      After two years at BSC, I applied for a two-year micro-scholarship from the US Embassy to study English at American University Alumni, or AUA school. After I finished that program, I returned to BSC again to continue studying English.
      After I finish high school, I would like to study at Chiang Mai University in the Faculty of Humanities with an English major. After graduation, I would like to work in the languages field, because I love learning many languages.
      Lastly I would like to thank to BSC teachers who have been teaching and supporting me for many years. It has helped me get many important opportunities, e.g. getting to know many good foreign friends, the micro-scholarship from the US embassy, and now a part-time job with higher wages than the minimum because of my English skills. Without the assistance of BSC, I might not have been able to get any of these valuable opportunities for my life.

Hom

      Hello! My name is Hom. I am from Hsipaw, northern Shan State. I currently work as a radio announcer at SHAN News.
      I would like to share about my journey of learning English with you. I graduated from high school in Hsipaw in 2014. In 2015, I got a chance to study at the School for Shan State Nationalities Youth (SSSNY) for six months here in Chiang Mai. It was not easy to get that chance. I practiced English grammar for almost 3 months. My elder sister was a guide for me at that time. SSSNY was the first place for me to learn English with all four skills – speaking, listening, reading, and writing. After six months of study, I continued with an internship at SHAN News.
      In early 2016, I went back to Shan State and worked at a radio station there until 2022. I completed my bachelor’s degree at university in 2023. I had to wait a long time to get my degree because of Covid-19. During those years, I only managed to study one English class online for a few months. There were no opportunities to study English where I was living and working in Shan State. For many reasons, I totally stopped learning English for several years until I came back to Chiang Mai and started to study at BSC.
      The reason why I study at BSC is I want to make a change for myself. In the past, every time I studied English, I had to start at the same level again and again. I was so bored of it. I think BSC is a good opportunity for migrants to get more improvement. In addition, BSC class fees are very inexpensive and there are not too many students in the class, so the teachers can help every student one-by-one.
      After studying at BSC for five months, I can already see the improvement in my skills and my personal development clearly. Importantly, BSC is not only a place to study, but also a place for migrants to create a new network. I have had the chance to meet new friends from different places and different communities. It has been awesome.
      Finally, my future goal is to speak English fluently, and with BSC I believe I can go further. I hope you all know you can do it as well! Thank you very much.