Actionsofhumansdefinetheirhistory,whichinturn,shapethe

courseoftheirlivesandhumanhistory.IamamatriarchethnicKarenfrom
Burma.Iwanttodefinemyfuturehistory,whichwillshapethecourseof
mylife,andleaveagoodmarkonthepartofhumanhistoryIwalk.Asa
responsibledaughteroftheUnitedStatesofAmericaandmynativecountry,
Burma,Ihavenotimebuttoimmediatelyact.Thatistopursuemy
education.Aneducationthatwillsupportandleadmetoapathamatriarch
dreamstowalk.
IwasborninasmallvillageinsoutheasternBurma.Asaresultofthe
ongoingcivilwarinBurma,therearethreemillionillegalimmigrantsand
refugeesinneighboringcountries.TheBurmesemilitarymarkedmy
birthplaceasBlackArea,wherethesoldierscoulddoanythingtheywanted.
Evenrapewasallowed.OnthedayIwasborn,theBurmesemilitaryregime
attackedmymother'svillage.Runningforourlives,myparentslost
everythingtheyhadbutme.
In1997,whenIwasoneyearold,theregimecarriedoutanintensive
militaryoperationagainstmanyarmedresistancegroupsinourstate.
Fleeing,withnoplacetogo,myfamilyandthousandsofKarenswalkedfor
threedaystotheNuPorefugeecampontheThaiBurmeseborder.

ThreeThaimilitarygatessurroundedNuPocampandmadesureno
onegotinoroutwithoutpermission.Thefoodrationwasnotenough.We
hadnochoicebuttosneakoutandlookforfood.Wegotcaughtandwere
beaten,tortured,rapedandkilledorjailed.Myfatherwastorturedafter
beingcaught.UntilIwas15yearsold,NuPowasmyworld.Itwasthe
foundationofmylife,whereIlearnedtobearefugee,astudent,andmost
importantly,aresponsibleeldestdaughterwhoworkedhardatschoolin
ordertopreserveabetterfuture.

Thehopemyparentshaveformeishigh.Theyneverhadany
schoolingbuttheywhisperedtheirdreamsfortheirchildrentogetan
education,aneducationthatwillchangeourlivesandthelivesoftheKaren
people.Myfather,orphanedattwo,neverhadanyschooling,butlearnedto
readandwrite.Mymother,thematriarchandunityofourfamily,spenther
youthsellingnoodlesonthestreetwithhermothertofeedherfamily.She
fearedrapeandfaceddeathformostofherlife.Butsheneverlosther
dreamofbearingabeautifulfamily.Forher,raisingafamilywellmeant
takingcareofone'svillagewell.Forher,ifthevillageishealthy,theKarens
arehappy.IftheKarensarehappy,thenthecountryishappy.Shesays,

"Weareallconnected.So,takeyourresponsibilityofbeingagood
villager."Andthatiswhatshewantsmetodo.Theywantmetobeagood
villager,notonlyfortheKarensbutalsofortherestofBurmaandAmerica.
Forthatdreamtoberealized,Ineedtofurthermyeducation.Ineedabetter
futurethatwillbringfundamentalrightsformyfamily,abetterfuturewhere
Icanbeamatriarch,agoodcitizenandaleaderformyfamily,fortheKaren
people,andforallthepeopleoftheUnitedStatesandBurma.
Mylifeexperiencestaughtmeonething,lifechangeaccordingtothesocial,
economicandpoliticalconditiononeisin.CivilwarinBurmadisplacedmy
familyandforcedustohideinthesoutheasternjunglesofBurmaforyears
withoutanysecurityoflife.ThisforcedustoarefugeecampontheThai
Border,andeventually,forcedustosettledintheUnitedStates.Thecivil
war,whichchangesoursocialandeconomiccircumstances,changedthe
courseofourlives.
IbecamealiaisonbetweenmyfamilyandtheVermontCommunity.AndI
leadmyselfforabetterfuture.
Ialwayshadadreamtopursueacollegedegreeforabetterfuture.Isit
possible?I,asafirstgenerationinmyfamilytogotocollege,itishard.
AnditunderstandablesincemybothmyparentsneverhadbeentoUnited

Stateschoolorcolleges.However,theywishmeallthebest,theywanted
metogotocollegesandonedayIcanhaveabetterlife.
I,myselfalsowantedtogotocollegeandstandonmyfeetsothatonedayI
canlendmyhandonthosewhocannotstandupontheirfeeteither
educationorothers.AndIknowIcangotocollege.
IwantedtogotocollegeandmajorinBiologybecausemylongtermgoalis
tobecomeagreatdoctor.ThenafterIbecomeadoctor,Iwilltravel
somewherewithafewothersdoctorsandhelpoutpeopleinthebordersor
remoteareaaroundAsia,EuropeandAfricawithhealthcare.
Mymotherisalwayssick,soshecouldntwork.Myfatheristheonly
personwhoworksinourfamily,sohesresponsibleforeverythinginour
household.Tobehonest,IdecidetoapplytothisscholarshipbecauseI
trulyneedfinancialsupporttocontinuemyeducation.