From Refugee to College Student

Bettina Zengotita and Shee Yah Start Date: Apr 13, 2014 - End Date: May 31, 2014
  • Study/Degree Abroad
  • Educational/Research Trip
  • Professional Development
  • Chaing Mai, Thailand

My Travel Story

by: Bettina Zengotita and Shee Yah Start Date: Apr 13, 2014 - End Date: May 31, 2014
  • Study/Degree Abroad
  • Educational/Research Trip
  • Professional Development
Bettina and Shee Yah- Our Stories:

My name is Bettina Zengotita. I am a 22 year old college student at Middle Tennessee State University, studying Poltical Science and Global Studies. I also work for a wonderful Non Profit, called Catholic Charities. Catholic Charities is national organization that offers a range of services. I specifically work for the Department of Refugee Services, through the Refugee Youth Program. I have been with Catholic Charities for 3 years. I started out as an intern and now I have been fortunate enough to work for them. During my work I have met so many inspirational families, who have gone from war torn countries, to refugee camps, and have now been resettled in the US. For the past year I have been working with refugees of Burma/Myanmar who were placed in refugee camps in Thailand. These children have made a permanant imprint on my heart and I would want nothing more than to visit the refugee camp from which most of them came.

This brings me to the second half of the reason of my trip: Shee Yah. I have been blessed to meet such a sweet, giving, determined, inspirational person. I think of her as a  modern day Saint. Shee Yah is a refugee of Burma, who also lived in a refugee camp in Thailand for over half of her life. For 14 years of her life, she lived in a grass hut in an over crowded refugee camp with barely enough food for everyone. At 14 years old, her family was resettled in Nashville, Tennessee. Shee Yah and her family came here with nothing, none of them could speak any english. Now here we are, 7 years later and Shee Yah is an Honors student at Middle Tennessee State University. When Shee Yah was 17, her family decided to go back to Thailand. Shee Yah had to make a life changing decision to stay in the United States to pursue her dream of attending college and eventually working for the UN to represent her people in Burma and Thailand. Shee Yah is an inspiration to all that know her. Her whole life is dedicated to the families that have been resttled in Nashville and the surronding cities. When she is not in school, Shee Yah is doing everything she can for these families, from taking them to doctors appointments to helping them file their taxes.

Shee Yah has not been home (to Thailand) since she was 14 and she has not seen her parents in 4 years. I would love nothing more than to accompany her to Thailand and learn more about the culture of these people who have impacted my life so much. We will be leaving for our trip this June. We will be studying at the University in Chaing Mai, Thailand and also visiting local orphanages and the refugee camp where she grew up. Please help us get to Thailand! Thank you and God Bless.
  • Chaing Mai, Thailand

Updates

1

  • Thank You!

    I am so excited about all of the Facebook shares and donations!! It genuinely means the world to me. You all are so great!

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