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Thiri grew up in a small town in Myanmar near Inle lake. During her middle and high school years, she helped at her family’s restaurant. Meeting and chatting with a wide array of international travelers helped her become more open to new ideas and opinions. Soon, Thiri became interested in different languages and cultures. She began to dream of traveling the world.

Thiri began to believe she had outgrown her education, sharing with us that everything revolved around memorization. “Understanding the topics, gaining knowledge, and thinking critically were unfortunately not included in my foundational education. All I needed to do was memorize facts to stay ahead and earn good grades,” she says, recounting those early years.

She would often complain to her parents about the challenges she faced at school. Even though Thiri knew what she wanted to do but there were too many roadblocks standing in her way.

“I desired an education that would give me the opportunity to go beyond the conventional model. I dreamed about working in STEM when I grew up. This may sound completely normal to people in other parts of the world but for a girl in Myanmar, it was a radical idea,” she shares.

UoPeople emerged as the biggest ray of hope for Thiri. “I found out about UoPeople by pure chance. I remember seeing a YouTube video about the university that piqued my interest. I decided to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science because I love math and am very interested in learning about artificial intelligence and computer systems.

The computer science program has surpassed my expectations. I learned various computer languages in my first year. Writing computer programs for weekly assignments and getting feedback from instructors has helped me gain essential knowledge to be successful in this field. I highly recommend this program to anyone with an interest in science and mathematics,” she says.

Thiri also loves studying with such a large diverse student body and the benefits that come from being a UoPeople student. “I love that UoPeople collaborates with some of the best schools around the world, like Harvard Business School Online.”

Along with studying computer science at UoPeople, Thiri is working as a freelance translator. “My primary focus is my education. The flexibility of online learning at UoPeople allows me to choose freelance projects on the side. I never feel lonely because of the support I receive from helpful advisors and instructors. And your peers are just a text away,” she adds.

In the near future, Thiri plans to take her passion for computing languages even further. “Learning about the language of computing systems and how those communication works have always intrigued me,” she says.

What does the future hold for Thiri after she earns her Bachelor’s in Computer Science? She is currently working on developing an AI translation program because she believes language barriers pose a global problem. “My work as a freelance translator has made me realize that my country’s underdevelopment is directly linked to the limited access Myanmar has to information from the outside world. I plan to develop a translation tool that can be used to shatter language barriers,” she shares with us. Thiri’s enthusiasm is infectious and we know she will make great contributions to the field of technology in the near future.