From Laos

When I was 6 years old, I started going to school. I had two best friends at school. Everyday I went to school just for fun and played with friends. I didn't care much about studying, because I lived in a small village. The school doesn't have enough educational resources, such as textbooks, technology, and learning materials, which could impact the quality of education. My culture was also against education, particularly for girls and the school didn't have enough teachers in my area. Every school day I did the same things when I was bored with studying. My friends and I were often left in the middle of class. I remembered that some days I just pretended to go to school but when I left my house and went to play at my friend's house until I saw the student back home then I would come back with them.

When I was in grade five, my grade dropped and I still stayed at the same grade the next year but my friends passed to the next grade in the incoming year. In that year, I felt disappointed, frustrated, anxious, and stressed because I was alone. No one cares about me, no friends, no fun anymore. Then I knew studying was really important to me. I had been studying hard and actively taking steps to improve my habits. I learned a lot from my mistakes.

Many years later, I graduated from high school. I decided to learn to be a teacher because I want to help students to learn, to grow, and to make a positive impact on their lives, but I couldn't make it happen because I married my husband and moved to the United States without completing my degree. However, now I have a small family and I believe that "It's never too late to start studying or to continue learning; as long as we're alive our dreams are still attainable," as Albert Einstein said. I hope my dream will become a reality, not today, but someday in the near future.